The Other Side
by WWEMusings
Summary: High school AU: Santa Barbara, CA. Randy's the co-captain of the schools football team; his life seems just about perfect but there's always another side to things. His family is one of the most envied families in the city but most of it is for show; this is the story about how the stress of perfection affects a young Randy. Rating for later chapters. ( Slow build to Rollton. )
1. Meet the gang

_**A/N:**_ So I'll be tagging trigger warnings at the beginning of every chapter just because I know how harmful even mentioning this stuff can be. Please do not read it if any of the following offend or trigger you! I want readers but not if it means one of you will be harmed after. Take care of yourselves.

**TriggerWarnings:** _self-harm, hints of child neglect, self-loathing_

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He panted quietly, eyes tearing up the way they did every other time he was this low emotionally. Blood was now running down the thin strip he'd cut on his arm, it hurt and it was stinging but it wasn't stinging enough to take away the pain. It never did. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him, guilt and pain and regret and shame. There was always shame.

Randy sobbed quietly to himself, staring at the blood for a few more seconds before hearing his mom come up the steps. He cursed and got a tissue, wiping the blood off and hissing at the pain. Clarity. Enough for it to make this cut worth it, maybe he wouldn't have to go deeper tonight after all. Randy stood up and went into the bathroom, running it under cold water and hissing at the pain. As sick as it was, this was his favorite part: the pain of cleaning the wound always hurt more than the actual wound.

"Keith.. come downstairs, dinner is ready."

Of course, what other reason would his mother have of showing up? Only time they spoke was over dinner, it wasn't fair to her really they spoke but she never listened and of course that was worse. "Comin' mom. Just takin' a leak."

"_Language_. Ugh.. we're waiting on you, hurry up."

Randy rolled his eyes, dabbing the cut and watching as the blood started drying over it. he waited to make sure it was no longer bleeding before putting on a thin hoodie and some jeans. He headed downstairs and smiled politely at the woman setting the table "Thank you." He took his usual seat next to his younger brother and across his sister, smiling at both of them and looking to the empty seat that belonged to his father "…dad still in the office?" Wasn't even a question at this point but he still figured he should ask.

"Yes. He's actually on another business trip so he won't be back for a few nights."

Another nod, eyes cutting over to Nate and offering him a small smile. He felt his brother squeeze his hand under the table and sighed before looking at his mom and slowly pulling his hand away so they could get dinner over with.

Awkward small talk and meaningless conversations later, he was back up in his room and working on history homework which he actually enjoyed more than he should. Randy finished typing up some things for it and put his laptop away, grabbing his cellphone and checking his messages.

_[From: Jay] Yo, we still on for tomorrow night?_

_[From: Psycho] Orton your ass better not back out tomorrow, man. _

_[From: Sugar Tits] That chick keeps asking me about you. Remember it's after the game, alright? _

_[From: Minnie] You better not bail on my friend. _

He felt a small wave of anxiety roll through him but did what he always did, shoved it aside.

_[To: Group] Calm your asses. I'll be there. Not like I can bail. We're all going together after the game. Now leave me alone. I still care about my grades unlike you fuckers and I have a test tomorrow. Night. _

After that it was a variety of responses from the group and how he was a nerd and to give it a rest already because his flawless GPA wouldn't be jeopardized by one failed test. That might've been true but studying is what gave Randy his break from the shit going on in his life.. or rather lacking from it.

So he spent the rest of the night studying for his first AP Calc test and doing sample problems until his head was so tired and vision was so blurry he was sure he was going to pass out on the desk. Randy packed up his notes and laid out his clothes for the morning before crawling into bed and falling asleep.

Few hours later he woke up to the sound of his door opening. He swallowed, sitting up and pulling the covers open from the side of the bed "c'mon.. I have a test tomorrow.. next time just sleep in here." He felt his 10 year old brother slide under his covers and move as close to him as possible. Randy sighed and buried his face back in the pillow.

"I miss Dad."

Randy felt a familiar pang in his chest and immediately poked the scar from earlier to forget "..I miss him too. He'll be back soon." And then they'd at least have one parent around. He gave the younger boy a pat on the back and left his hand there "Sleep, Nate. You have school tomorrow. I'll wake you up before she notices you're in here."

Their mother was one of the 'tough-love' parents and nurturing was something Randy didn't even think was in her vocabulary. All she cared about was his father's bank account and making sure nobody in the family ruined the family name so she could keep getting money. She claimed to love them but.. Randy couldn't remember one time she actually held him. But that was something he wasn't allowed to think about, Seniors in high school didn't have mommy issues. At least that's what society told him.

…

He buttoned up his long-sleeve, fixing the collar and letting it hang over his tight-fitting designer jeans. Yeah, everything about his look screamed 'privileged' but then again it had to. Randy ran a hand through his short hair before grabbing his book bag and keys to his Charger sitting in the driveway "I'll be back late. Party after the game.. don't wait up!" his mom never did of course, but it was still nice pretending that he'd have someone worrying for him.

A half an hour later, Randy parked the car and smirked when he walked up to his group of friends which consisted of the co-captain of the football team, best kicker on the team, and lead running back of the team, oh and the head cheerleader who was dating his best friend. Perfect boy had to have the perfect group of friends after all. Randy slapped John's shoulder "Sup, man? We ready to win this one again?"

John grinned and looped his arm around Mickie's waist "Yeah.. that's if you don't somehow get injured from now and 7pm."

Randy laughed but it promptly turned into a hiss when Dean walked up and punched him in the gut "gotta watch your back, Orton. Remember that out in the field later. You're our whole plan on winnin' the damn thing."

He punched the shorter teen in the arm "Fuckin' asshole. I thought all your power was in your legs?"

"Oh but I gotta keep the arms pumped just in case football team tanks and I can join boxin' instead."

He snorted "yeah, I feel bad for the poor fucker that's ever gotta box against you."

"As you should, fruitbasket."

Randy rolled his eyes and glanced over when he saw Cody's car pull up, smirking at the man when he saw he was with the captain of the swim team. Cody's cheeks flushed and Randy winked at him. He saw the smaller teen mouth "shut up." to him but it lost its fire especially since Randy could practically hear the lisp and besides, Cody wasn't all that intimidating.

Once the group caught on to what Randy was staring at the wolf whistles and cheering began and both Cody and Ted looked like they wanted the ground to swallow them whole. Randy chuckled and grabbed his bag off the ground before heading inside for his test "I'll see you fuckers later. Mick, tell Taryn I can't wait for the party."

With that he left his friends and headed into Calc, immediately dropping his bag at the door and just keeping his calculator and pencils with him. Randy was the first to finish the test, turning it in and going to sit back at his desk this time with his phone as he surfed the internet.

The rest of the day was cake after that, easy distractions to keep him busy up until practice.

"Remember, the plan is always keep going and if anyone else is open, pass. Don't be greedy."

Randy smirked and fixed up his shoulder pads, walking up to John and smacking him on the ass "Did I tell you I didn't get enough sleep last night? Because if I fuck up.. that's what happened." He felt a small hand on his arm and turned to see Cody, smirking at him

"Guess you just won't fuck up then, right? We need this shit to qualify for championship tournament.. there's no time for 'fucking up'"

Randy chuckled, pinching Cody's nose "Stop tryin' to act tough, Suga-.."

"Do. Not. Call. Me. That."

He laughed "Well maybe if you hadn't told me about that time you and.."

"Orton! Rhodes! Get your asses to the tunnel!"

Randy looked at Cody, smirking at him before winking and sliding in his mouthpiece before putting on his helmet and jogging over to the starting lineup. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins as he bounced in place, hyping himself up for the game.

Football and school work were his only real releases from the shit at home and the shit from his past; they were the only times Randy got to be good at something and feel like life would be okay if he could just keep going.

Cheering, almost deafening as Randy and John lead the team out onto the field and the band played for them. Most of the town was in the stands, it was the first time their upper-middle class school (Santa Barbara Senior High) got leagued with the privates and boarding schools that seemed to perfect NFL stars. And this time, Randy was going to make sure they got to the championship.

He scanned over the crowd, seeing John's family and Nate sitting next to them all alone. Randy closed his eyes and forced the image out of his head and took his position. John called out the play and after that it was short bursts of play followed by random cheering or booing for hours on end. He couldn't even remember half-time but that was probably because second quarter ended with him tackled into the safe zone. His ribs were burning but they were tied and Randy had to make sure it didn't stay that way. He could only focus on the burning of his muscles and bones and the feel of victory so close, there was no room for anything else. Randy ran with the ball: 15 seconds left. He wouldn't make it. He glanced over and saw one of the juniors open: Randy stopped immediately and the crowd seemed to be holding their breath but he gave the pass, hoping the kid would catch it and breathing out when the crowd went crazy. Reigns got tackled to the ground but it was after the catch was made and the touchdown was scored. He jumped up and looked over at the time card, 3 seconds. Randy grinned and whistled for Dean to get ready, they were milking the rest of this play and winning by seven points. They needed to make a name for themselves. Play was reset, Dean was at his position and the whistle blew. Fucker didn't waste any time preparing, he kicked it right off the bat and landed them a perfect point. He screamed out and ran over to Dean just as the end whistle blew. He tackled the fucker to the ground and half the team doggy piled Dean while the other half picked up Reigns and carried him around like a fucking king.

Randy chuckled and struggled out of his helmet and slipped out the mouth piece "..still think you're gonna have to join boxing?" He grinned when Dean laughed and head-butted him in that weird way he did to show affection.

"Fuck you, man. I'm stayin' right here."

Randy grinned and got off his friend, helping him up and heading out to get ready for the remainder of their night.

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_**A/N:**_ So I'm starting something new because I need more angst and have an urge to write up my Randy for some time now. Any feedback would be great thank you. And remember this is just the preview chapter I'm going more in depth on his past later on. Review?


	2. The lights

_**A/N:**_ So bear with me, guys. Getting this started and introducing characters. Any feedback would be amazing. Thank you.

**TriggerWarnings:** none.

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Randy grinned and got off his friend, helping him up and heading out to get ready for the remainder of their night.

Shower 'slip-ups' and pranks aside, the wait for the party at Mickie's beach house was boring and uneventful. They got there first since they had to help her set up and by the time 11pm rolled around Randy was about ready to bail to the ocean just for something to do. He sat on the porch of the mostly empty house with a beer and looked out into the crashing waves, mind entertaining the thought of him getting lost out there if only for a night.

"Sup, Keith.. you okay?"

"..don't call me that. It's Randy. Hell Randall would be better." He said without hesitation, knowing Cody would have that hurt puppy look on his face but not even looking at him. He sighed and opened the beer, taking a long drink.

"'s that a no?"

Randy chuckled his usual chuckle and nudged Cody playfully "No man. It's a yeah. I just hate that name. Reminds me of the old lady and.. yeah, sorry man." He gave Cody his charming smile and relaxed when the other teen nodded and jumped up to his feet happily.

"I think that's Ted." Cody watched as Randy's smirk grew and blushed, rolling his eyes and punching Randy on the arm before jumping out of arm's reach and turning "Not a damn word." He giggled then and sprinted down the beach to where Ted had parked.

Randy smiled to himself and took that as his cue to stop moping. He stood up, turning and jumping a little when he saw Mickie with a rather cute blonde with the kind of eyes that just spoke for her. He breathed out, staring at the stranger for a second before looking back at Mickie and flashing his smile at them "..Sup, Micks.. who's your friend?"

Mickie gave a pleased smile at Randy's reaction and shoved her friend forward a little "This is Taryn. She lives up in San Francisco but her family's visiting for the long weekend."

Randy's eyebrows lifted a bit at that, turning to face the blond again and opening his arms for a hug "Nice to meet you, Taryn. I'm Randy.. or Orton." He shrugged, embracing the girl softly before dropping his hand back to her side. He flicked his gaze to Mickie, glad to see the girl could take a hint when she put her hands up and left.

"I'll be inside with John."

He made a fake gagging noise earning him a glare from the short teen before he was left on the porch with this new girl. "So, Taryn.. any chance you know how to bleach my mind from all the gross forms of PDA I've seen when it comes to my best friend and your friend?"

Taryn laughed, hazel eyes crinkling up at the corners as she moved to set on the porch rail "They can't be that bad.."

"Oh, they can be. Especially when you know your best friend's body too well and the 'imagining' part gets outta hand."

She grinned "Then that's not their fault, is it? More like you can't keep your thoughts away from your best friend that way."

Randy hummed, considering her comment because it was true. He couldn't stop his thoughts from straying but that's because he and John were an item Sophomore year when they both admitted that they were bi and went out for about 5 months. Things ended when they got more involved in football and John fell in love with Mickie so there was really no room for Randy to be bitter, not when he had been doubting their relationship for a while.

To say things ended well between them was an understatement. John and Randy were closer than ever and John's family welcomed him and his siblings to any event so that always made Randy trust his best friend that much more.

"Randy?"

He blinked, head cocking to the side as he looked at the blonde "Sorry, mind gets away from me sometimes." Randy chuckled, grinning a bit before adding "..so I guess you can't blame my 'obsessive' thoughts about my best friend, huh? My mind spends too much time wandering."

She chuckled "I guess not. But that's a good thing."

"Why's that?"

Taryn looked away and shrugged, foot softly tapping against the railing "..because mine does too. And it's good to know that I'm not the only weirdo."

Randy scoffed at that, playfully nudging the girl "I don't know what you're talkin' about. I'm not weird."

It was her turn to scoff, eyes cutting to the teen before she shoved herself off the railing and grabbed Randy's forearm that was too damn muscular to belong to a high school kid. "Right, And you're not handsome either."

He grinned, following the blonde into the beach house "You know what.. I take that back, I'll be weird if it means you think I'm handsome."

Taryn chuckled and dragged Randy inside, smiling when Mickie opened the front door and let in a hoard of teens then John hit the music just at the right time. "Jeeze. They always throw parties like this?"

Randy looked around, everything was perfect and there were more than enough drinks there for every guest to at lest get drunk. He snorted, grinning at the blonde and waving at John to get his attention. He signaled for the boy to dim the lights and John smirked back at him, pressing a few buttons and cutting the main house lights in favor of the black lights and the DJ lights. "…No. They always throw parties like _this_" he smirked at Taryn and slowly started bouncing to the beat of the music.

Taryn chuckled, looking around the house and seeing just what she expected of her socialite friend. She shrugged and started swaying slowly to the music "I feel like they're over-selling it."

Randy huffed and shrugged, glancing over at John before taking a long drink of the beer that was still in his hand "Nah. This is nothing. You should see when we're celebrating a special event."

She laughed, already imagining it got pretty rowdy at the beach when it came to their celebrations. Taryn shrugged it off though and closed her eyes, focusing on the beat of the music as they moved together for some time. Every now and again they'd switch tempo and either start jumping like maniacs or sway like drunks but this was liberating in a way and Taryn was more than happy to play along with the rich life for a night.

Hours flashed by, Randy drank at least 7 beers by now and was getting a bit tipsy. He tried to keep up with Taryn's movements, feeling the girl press against his chest and trying to move with her but eventually he stopped and laughed as Taryn tried to get him to drink water. Randy grinned and shook his head "—n. Jus' ..need som a-air" he promised, letting the blonde walk away and find Mickie so they could dance together.

He headed to the porch again, looking out to the dark ocean and feeling his vision blur for a bit before the slightly cooler ocean breeze caressed his face and Randy sobered up enough to stand up straight. He inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering closed as he felt himself relax –truly relax– for the first time that night. Truth was he liked coming down here because it made him feel free of expectations and of cares; it was a nice feeling.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Randy half stumbled and half walked down to the beach, tight jeans hugging his thick thighs as his snug, long-sleeve shirt clung to his slightly sweaty skin as the breeze cooled him down a bit. He began humming to himself, alcohol haze making him blissfully unaware of his own actions. Randy was half way through 'Have Faith in Me' and walking a few feet from the high tide as he watched the lazy waves roll in and crash against some of the rocks at the edge of the sand when he heard a slightly higher-pitched voice start singing the lyrics to the song he'd been humming.

The singing wasn't perfectly-pitched but it still sent shivers up his arms; Randy could hear the emotion in the person's voice as they sang along. He finished off the humming, getting a little louder and sobering up a bit more as he listened to the guy's flawless quoting of the song. As he hummed out the last few notes and looked around for the source of the voice, Randy approached a small dip in the beach that created a perfect hideaway for the younger teen sitting there. The kid was leaner than Randy and slightly shorter but his most unique feature was probably the half blond and half black hair he had going on.

He didn't notice he was staring until the teen turned to face him and their eyes connected, barely visible in the dim lighting from the beach houses not too far away. Randy smiled softly at the kid and slowly approached the small bench-like rock that overlooked the ocean the stranger was sitting on "Sup, man?"

Seth bit his lip nervously and shrugged, looking out to the ocean again. He hadn't expected the person that'd been singing to come find him much less to look like _that_. His dark eyes lingered on the star-filled sky for a few moments "Same as you. Hiding out from the bullshit of life?"

Randy stopped, leaving a few feet of space between them. What the kid said was too close to the truth and Randy panicked a little. No one was supposed to know Randy Orton had trouble with too large of crowds or that sometimes he just needed to escape into his own mind to cope. He swallowed "What are you hiding from?"

The question was innocent enough. Seth didn't think this stranger that looked like he walked out of some damn fashion show (while Seth was just sitting here in basketball shorts and a MaydayParade t-shirt) really cared about the list of things Seth would have to run from so he answered with the simplest one "..I moved here today. Live a street up. And I needed a break from.. the house."

He felt like there was more to be said and that this stranger might be suffering through some of the same things he was but Randy was too scared to open up that whole side of his problems so he looked at the teen "What school do you go to?"

Seth snorted at that, "I think it's called Santa Barbara Senior High or some shit like that.. heard from my cousin that it's a bunch of stuck up snobs and Barbies that think they're better than the world."

Randy nodded, looking over to the teen for a moment and scanning his profile before flicking his gaze back to the ocean "..yeah, most people think we're like that. I can't say I disagree."

Seth blinked, looking at the stranger again and flushing deeply "I.. shit.. no.. I didn't m-.. I'm sorry, man." He was babbling incoherently, cheeks burning and anxiety creeping up as the thought about the fact that he probably just ruined the only friend he could've made before starting at a new school with the economically privileged.

Randy chuckled "Nah. Don't worry about it.. It ain't a private school but 85% of us act like we are royalty.. just gotta find people that aren't all that bad and stick with 'em." He smirked and took a step towards the kid, reaching for the thinner teen until he heard loud giggling from the direction of Mickie's parent's house and heard Taryn calling his name. He dropped his hand back to his side and looked over at Seth apologetically "I gotta go.. we're havin' a party." He stopped, "..you're welcome to join if you want?"

Seth considered it but quickly shot it down because he'd been to parties before and most of the time they'd end in someone embarrassing him as part of a dare to get in with the cool kids. His stomach churned at the thought. He bit his lip again "N-no thanks. I'll just stay here."

Randy frowned and nodded, moving away from the private little alcove because he didn't want anyone to find it just in case he was planning on hiding out here more often "Okay.. yeah. It was nice meeting you—" he stopped awkwardly, hearing the voices get closer and looking at the stranger again.

"Seth. Seth Rollins."

Randy nodded, smiling at him"Randy Orton. Nice meeting you. I'll see ya around?"

He inhaled, the teen's smile lit up his entire face and transformed Randy's features from cold and calculating to warm and … comforting so easily. Seth shook himself and flushed a bit, nodding at the teen "See ya."

He smiled and turned, walking up the slight incline to get to the beach again and smiling when he saw a stumbling Taryn and Mickie walking in the general direction of the beach. Randy glanced back towards the alcove one more time before taking a deep breath and putting his game face back on as he walked towards the girls "you guys need to be careful out here. Someone might kidnap two gorgeous women like yourselves." That earned a slight giggle from both girls, Randy smirking a bit as he grabbed Mickie's shoulders and started leading them back to the beach house but more importantly away from the new kid he'd just met.

Randy couldn't exactly say why but he wanted to keep that secret hideaway secret for a little while longer.

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_**A/N:**_ Review?


	3. The new kid

_**A/N:**_ This update was long overdue but I had many things keeping me busy and stressed. I apologize. Hope you enjoy.

**AnetteBP**: Thank you, love.

**Jessicaramsey78**: Thanks!

**Guest-07**: Thank you. Hope you like the developments!

**TriggerWarnings**: none.

* * *

Randy couldn't exactly say why but he wanted to keep that secret hideaway secret for a little while longer.

Hours ticked by, nothing but mindless dancing and short conversations on the dance floor to keep him busy. He couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to the smaller teen he'd just met. There was something about him that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Perhaps the biggest reason he kept thinking about him was the way he not only knew what song Randy was singing but he liked it.

"Uhhhhggh! Who let fruitbasket pick a song?!"

Dean's voice brought him out of his daze, looking over to the man and seeing most of the people chuckling. He rolled his eyes, just now noticing that '_All I Want_' was playing out. He sighed and went to unclick his playlist before everyone resumed their dancing to wordless songs. Randy's friends never really understood or liked his music and usually that wasn't too big of a deal but tonight it just made him feel lonely even though he had Taryn pressed against him and bodies swaying in every direction. After the tech song ended he pulled away from Taryn, "I'm gonna go get some water."

Taryn nodded but this time followed the man out to the porch once Randy had a water bottle with him. "The song wasn't that bad."

"Mm.." he laughed it off, "Tell that to the rest of them." Randy shrugged and finished off the water before looking at Taryn. He knew the woman was being polite and that was enough for him right now. "Thanks though."

She nibbled her lip as she nodded and looked out to the water. "Uh huh.." Taryn sighed and ran a finger through her annoyingly curled hair before giving up and tying it up in a ponytail. She smiled as the waves crashed against the damp sand.

Randy followed her gaze and nudged her shoulder, "Wanna sit by the beach?"

Taryn looked up at him, eyes wary because every time she'd been asked to do that with a guy it ended with her having to shove him off her and slapping them across the face.

He saw the hesitation and immediately his face fell "…we don't have to. I just like getting out there to clear my head.. and forget all this.." he gestured behind them where the music was still thumping loudly, windows shaking.

Taryn wrapped an arm around Randy and frowned, "Sorry. I just.. didn't want to go unless you really wanted to."

"Well I do."

She squeezed him softly, not daring to do more before nodding "Let's go?" Taryn followed Randy off the porch before walking next to him in the direction of the beach. The walk was blissfully silent and the music from the house was getting quieter and quieter.

Randy hadn't realized he was walking in the opposite direction of the little alcove until he stopped right next to the lifeguard hut and looked at her "this okay?"

She smiled, nodding and giggling quietly as she crawled between the support boards then sat under the hut. Taryn looked over at Randy, smiling softly when she saw the amusement in his eyes "….I like it bein' isolated."

He chuckled and got in too, having a bit more trouble than her but taking a seat next to the blonde in the cool sand. He brought his knees up, looking at the water and smiling as he just enjoyed the quiet moment.

"This what it's like bein' in your life?"

"More or less."

She hummed, "..it's chaotic. I.. I'm a city girl too but never been to anything like this. My group of friends.. they're not anything like yours." Taryn gave a small laugh, "Micks is always telling me I need to get out more and make more friends. I like it just the way it is back home though. Sure I don't have the money to own a beach house but.. it's okay."

"Money's overrated. I like the quieter life too." He shrugged before quickly adding, "I'm grateful I have more than enough to get by and enough to get into college even if the scholarships fall through.."

She nodded. "So why don't you just not come to all the parties?"

He stopped then, staring at the waves and frowning softly as he voiced part of it "…'cause high schoolers don't say no to parties if they get invited." Randy chuckled, quickly putting the mask back on and nudging her "Besides.. I always meet people this way."

Taryn nodded, frowning softly. She might've been wrong about Randy being different than the others. The blonde drew patterns on the sand, keeping to herself "You meet a lot of girls at these parties?"

"Yeah."

She flinched, nodding silently and drawing swirls in the sand. Minutes passed, nothing but the crash of the waves sounding around them.

"…They're nothing like you though."

Taryn just hummed, letting the man keep talking.

"They're more into making a name for themselves than bein' themselves."

She smiled, looking up at Randy "And me?"

He locked eyes with her, "you're… quiet but you know have a good time.." he shrugged, "..but that's not all you care about so.. it's a good change."

When Taryn smiled at him, Randy smiled back. It was a weird smile that didn't quite reach his eyes but Taryn figured that was just how the teen was. She leaned in cautiously, eyes flicking up to search his for a moment before the football player closed the distance between them and their lips met. It was slow and lazy, nothing like she'd expected but it was nice.

Randy pulled away after a few seconds, smiling at her before looking out to the beach. There was something sweet about that kiss. Like if both of them were too scared or guarded to do anything else. He smirked at the thought and reached over for the blonde's hand, placing his on top of hers on the cool sand as they spent the rest of the night there by the waves and in comfortable silence.

.~.~.~.

Monday couldn't roll back around fast enough. Randy was just about to scramble out of the house when his little brother stumbled down stairs.

"…can I get a ride to school?"

"Why didn't you go with mom?"

"…Becky needed to go pick some stuff up so they left earlier."

He sighed and nodded, scruffing Nate's hair "Go get your bag."

Nate smiled and sprinted up the steps, stumbling on the last one and falling on his face.

Randy laughed and shook his head as he opened the front door "Don't forget to lock up! Two minutes before your ass is walkin'!"

Nate pouted but stood up and grabbed his bag and his soccer cleats as well. He smiled brightly when he slid into the car "Let's go!"

"Take your gross shoes off the dash. I just cleaned it." He smirked when Nate huffed, loving to tease the little kid because at the end of the day Nate knew he could come to him no matter what.

"You comin' to my game on Wednesday?"

The question was asked nervously and he couldn't help but feel a little bad for his brother thinking that his extracurriculars were burdensome on the rest of the family members. Randy swatted Nate's thigh "Yeah. It's the pre-season scrimmages.. just to see what league you'll be placed in for the juniors. Don't be too nervous about it. I'll be there."

He smiled brightly and relaxed a little "Awesome."

Randy chuckled. The rest of the car ride was short and by the time Nate was dropped off Randy had to start speeding to make it to his school on time. He locked up his car just as the first bell rang and smirked a bit as he made sure he had his bag and sprinted to class.

Seth cursed as he slammed his locker shut and picked up the right book. He'd almost stepped into first period by the time he realized it. This was not how he needed to start his first day.

Randy panted a bit and slowed down as he approached the class, seeing some kid walk into his first period and making it in just after him as the bell rang. It wasn't until he sat down in his usual seat that he bothered to see who it was. He was surprised to say the least when he caught the kid staring and realized it was Seth. Randy gave him a small smile and received a cautious one before the kid turned abruptly and faced front.

Shit. He was not prepared for this. He'd been thinking about Randy since the other teen smiled at him on Friday. It was hard to get him out of his head. He'd always been more into guys than girls but he was sure Randy could've coaxed any teen out of the closet with that damn smile. _'Rollins?!'_ he jumped a bit and looked up at the teacher, smiling shyly when the class started laughing at his expense. "Yeah?" _'…you say here not yeah.'_ More snickers filled the room and Seth sighed a bit as he nodded "Here." _'Might as well introduce yourself'_ He felt the familiar flutter go through his gut and spoke from his seat "Uh.. I'm Seth. Moved here from Iowa. And.. uh.. I'm overwhelmed by the number of sports I can join here." The class thankfully didn't snicker but his heart was still beating fast as he stopped talking and waited for the teacher to start talking again_. 'Great. Just don't join the football team. There's a reported loss of neurons for high school football players.' _The class burst out into laughter again, all 35 or so kids shaking their heads at the teacher.

"I think you meant to say in most cases." Randy rolled his eyes; joking, of course because being in all AP classes meant that most of his peers thought the same of the football team and they teased him a lot for it but he knew it was all just for fun. _'Ah. Mr. Orton.. you are an anomaly. And now that you took the heat off Mr. Rollins.. how about you come up to the board and work out number 13 on yesterday's homework? The class seemed to have trouble with it.'_ He groaned but got out of his seat, flicking his gaze to Seth quickly and not missing the look of gratefulness on his face. Randy didn't think much of it though because most people didn't like coming up to the board especially not in math.

_Of course he's a football player. That confidence doesn't just materialize out of thin air._ Yeah, Seth was possibly crushing on the guy he had the least probability of dating. There was no way a football star would pay him any mind.. besides, he was sure Randy didn't even remember who he was before he was called on. He sighed and watched the other teen walk up to the board in his place; Seth couldn't help but be impressed when Randy easily worked out the complicated equation, only stopping once when he forgot to bring a number over and the calculations weren't working out.

"Very well. This is going to be on the test. You may thank Mr. Orton for not only solving it for you but doing it step by step. Go ahead and snap pictures or write it down before I get started with my lecture."

Randy smirked a bit as he sat down again and quickly shuffled back to yesterday's homework and highlighted the problem. The rest of the lecture was rather uneventful and mostly them reviewing things Randy already started working on himself so he didn't pay much attention.

Seth scribbled the notes down and barely managed to keep up with the lecture all the way until the bell rang. He sighed in relief and collected his things before heading out to P.E. When he walked in to the locker room he almost wanted to have the ground swallow him whole because he froze right in front of a gorgeous-looking guy with long hair and hazel eyes. It was unfair that someone in high school looked like the kids in this school. He swept his gaze over the man's broad chest, noticing that the stranger was a little heavy but he had muscles developing and soon he'd be nothing but muscle. _'…you're blocking the exit, man.' _That fucking voice. Seth blushed and avoided the teen's gaze as he quickly moved out of the way "Sorry." Thankfully he missed the chuckle that left the stranger's lips because he'd ran inside the locker room and quickly found the locker he'd been assigned before changing into basketball shorts and a tank. When he walked into the gym, he was relieved to find average looking people with some above average looking ones. Maybe Randy and the guy he just passed weren't the average around here. That relaxed him a little before the coach informed them they'd be in the weight room for the hour. This was going to be a long first day.

…

He hadn't seen the new kid after AP Calc but he'd sure as hell heard about him after classes. It seemed like Cody had P.E. with him and Mickie had Lit with him. They were pretty entertained speculating about him.

"Sup, fruitbasket?"

He rolled his eyes and punched Dean in the arm "Keep that shit up and you'll have to find a new partner for Chem."

"Ah.. you wouldn't do that, man."

"And why the hell not?"

"You guys need me for the playoffs." He smirked victoriously when Randy sighed in defeat and shook his head.

"Orton if you jeopardize the top kicker's grades I will make your life hell."

He snorted "Shut up, remember you're CO-captain." He winked at John and shook his head as he followed his friends into the locker room to get ready for practice.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Again, sorry for the delay and hope you guys liked it. If you guys would like to see any other wrestlers in here please tell me because I have a few characters already outlined but I need a face for them. Review?


	4. Speculations

_**A/N:**_ It's a few hours later than I wanted but it's done. Hope you all like it!

**Ondra J**: My high school life was nothing special. This is all just from my head and a few things I've heard about but thank you! And I'd planned on making them their firsts and actually already hinted at that but I will go into detail later.

**Takers dark lover**: Thank you, hun!

**Guest-07**: Noted. :)

**TriggerWarnings:**_ mentions of scars / self-harm_

* * *

He snorted "Shut up, remember you're CO-captain." He winked at John and shook his head as he followed his friends into the locker room to get ready for practice.

Dean was already dressed by the time Randy started pulling off his shirt. He looked away, knowing that Randy had a few scars and he'd learned his lesson about bringing them up so now he wouldn't even look at them. The kicker along with the rest of the people that ever saw him with anything other than a long sleeve knew better than to ask. So Dean adjusted his shirt before turning and talking to Roman. He laughed a bit as one of their captains finished getting ready. He lifted his brows a bit at the junior "Why you got that smug look on your face, bro?"

"What smug look?"

Randy had to laugh at that because he'd seen it from a mile away. "Don't even try. That 'I got some' look. Who was it?"

Locker room talk was common and though the guys didn't all hang out together outside of practice and events they still talked enough to know about personal lives. That included knowing which one of them played for the same team, the opposite team, or even played the field evenly.

"I didn't get any." He noted, eyes flashing as he added ".._**yet**_."

Randy, Dean, and any other one of their teammates started laughing and hooting at the teen. A few of them slapped Roman on the back, grinning softly as they congratulated him but Randy was curious. He smirked a bit and tilted his head as he looked at the Samoan "Who's the poor bastard that's on your radar?" he joked.

Roman paused, shrugging a bit and looking uncertain for the first time since they got into the locker room but as soon as that showed up it was gone and he just looked around at the four guys "I don't know his name."

Dean snorted, shaking his head as he smacked Roman's shoulder "You got a thing for the new kid? How do you even know he swings that way?"

Randy smirked a bit, thinking back to the beach and being almost certain that nothing about that moment seemed anything more than cautious and slightly curious but then again he'd only spoken to Seth once so he couldn't make assumptions.

"Trust me: he swings this way. I'm pretty sure it's the only team he plays for." The Samoan winked just as Coach Calaway showed up and looked over the group before blowing the whistle so the whole team could gather from their groups in the locker room.

"Get your asses out to that field! We're doin' take downs today then weight room. I hear any complaints and you'll be doin' push-ups for the rest of practice. C'mon! Hustle!"

Randy smirked a bit at Roman, not thinking much of his teammate's confidence in Seth's sexuality as he and John led the team out onto the field. They broke them off into teams and carried out the large pads.

Hours of lifting and tackling later, Randy was in his room and collapsed on his bed. "Fuck me."

"_Gross."_

He rolled his eyes and glanced over at the pile of books on his desk before groaning into the phone "Not you, sugartits. That was a general fuck me to my life." He laughed a bit and shifted on the bed, stretching out his sore muscles before yawning and sitting up "Is there a reason you called or was it just 'cause you missed me?"

"_Ugh. There is a crisis. I wouldn't call you during practice that many times if there wasn't!"_

"Bring it back down, Madonna. What the hell happened?" Randy got up and started digging through his bag for the things he needed to do his school work before taking a seat at his desk and listening to Cody.

"_Do you think Ted is just usin' me for sex?"_

He rolled his eyes and groaned "Why? What the hell happened?"

"_Answer the question." _

Randy could practically see the pout on Cody's face and sighed "No. He's been pining after your candy ass for some time. Now tell me what the fuck happened."

"_Are you su-"_

"Dammit, Codes. I will hang up."

"…_he just.. he was talking about the new kid a lot today and.. I dunno.. he's kinda cute and what if.. I.. don't wanna lose him." _

Randy frowned and sat up in his chair again. This new kid was all everyone seemed to be talking about lately. Sure, Randy liked his taste in music but everyone seemed to be jumping to conclusions about him.

"_Ran?"_

He blinked, "Sorry. Uh.. do you remember what he was saying? I'm sure he's not interested in him that way, Cody. You're just.. touchy."

"_HEY!"_

"What? You called me 'cause you needed an honest opinion and I'm not about to start bullshitting you now." He sighed, "Focus. What did he say about Seth?"

"_How'd you know his name?"_

"…he's in my Calc class, doof. Now answer." Randy turned on the desk lamp before looking over his homework assignments and frowning a bit as he realized he had quite a few due tomorrow.

"_Oh. Yeah. Uh.. we have P.E. with him.. and they were talkin' in the weight room and I think Seth told Ted that he was looking for a team to join and he loved track and swimming so he couldn't decide.. but Ted is trying to convince him to join the team. Seth showed up to swim practice to try out.. and.. Ted is impressed but the new kid is still on the fence about joining so now Ted wants to find a way to get him to join."_

Randy scratched his jaw and nodded as he started doing his Calc homework, doing most of it in his head except for the longer parts that needed the calculator as he listened to his best friend. "Mm." He nodded and turned the page over before answering "..okay. Did you just hear yourself? Where in that speech did it sound like Ted wanted Seth to suck his dick?"

"_Guh! Gross, Keith. Can you fuckin' not.. ugh. I don't want to talk about this with you." _

He rolled his eyes, "Answer."

"_Oh.. uh.. I dunno.. just it's a lot of attention that he's giving him, ya know? … but nowhere I guess?" _

Randy smirked as he finished off yet another problem "You guess?"

"…_fine! I may just be peeved because he.. wasn'tthinkingaboutmethewholetime." _

He grinned, "Thought so. Now stop bein' a diva and support him. You know how important that team is to him. It's like if we were about to get an awesome linebacker after being in need of one.. wouldn't you want him badly too?"

"_Oh.. yeah, I guess."_

"Atta boy. Now leave me alone. I have two more assignments due tomorrow."

"_Just two?"_

"I finished one while you were blabbering." He teased before Cody started cursing at him and Randy started laughing. "I was still attentive! But I gotta go. Want to be done with all this hopefully before the old man goes to bed."

"_Ah. Okay. I'll see ya tomorrow. Tell 'im I say hey."_

"Night."

"_Later." _

Randy smirked when the line went dead, feeling good about soothing Cody down and getting back to his school work. His dad was home early tonight but he had another long day starting early tomorrow so Randy wanted to say goodnight to him after finishing up his work.

AP History didn't take too long since it was just note-taking and some flashcards so once he did that he just had to crawl though Spanish homework. Most of the words came easily to him but he had to look up a few of them and that just frustrated him because you'd think after four years he'd get the damn hang of it.

Once his homework was done, Randy quickly put his things away and laid out his clothes for the morning before heading downstairs. He peeked into the living room and saw his dad with a glass in his hand. The habit he had after catching his mom in a bad mood while drinking kicked in and Randy frowned, turning to head back upstairs before his old man called him down. The football player bit his lip as he walked down and fidgeted with the edge of his hoodie.

"Congrats on the win, kiddo."

Randy smiled brightly, all the tension eased from him as his body caught up with his mind and realized that his dad wasn't the one with the drinking problem. He gripped his dad's shoulder "Thanks. We fuckin' made it, dad."

"I know. That was all Nate was talking about after school today. Your mom didn't even go, did she?"

"Uh.. I'm sure she was busy.." he lied.

"Don't defend her."

"…I know." He frowned, rubbing over his arm as the anxiety started to build up a little inside him "She never goes though. Not unless you're here to go too. She doesn't like showin' up to the games like some 'single mom because it's embarrassing'." He mimicked rather coldly.

"Randy.."

"Yeah. I know. .. but she knows what that game meant to me."

Robert nodded "I know. I try to be there for you kids as much as I can."

"I know. Don't worry old, man. I'll record Nate's scrimmage just in case you can't make it." he smiled, giving his dad a one-armed-hug before pulling away "Night. I am exhausted.."

"It's one in the morning. You _should_ be asleep."

"**I'm** not the one that has to be ready for a meeting by six a.m." Randy teased before patting his dad's shoulder "Night, old man."

"Watch it. I'll take your keys."

"Love you too. GO TO SLEEP!" he screamed just loud enough to get his point across but not loud enough to wake up his siblings or his mom. Randy headed upstairs but stopped on the first step as he whispered back, "Oh.. and Codes said hi." The grunt he got in return let him know his dad heard him so Randy just went upstairs and collapsed on his bed again except this time he passed out almost instantly.

…

Tuesday was a blur. His body was still sore from practice the day before and the fact that he'd stayed up way later than he should've only made his thinking sluggish. It was bad enough that his Calc teacher didn't ask him to come up to the board to solve a problem for everyone else and instead called on one of his peers every step.

The rest of the day seemed to go just about the same though most of his teachers still called on him he managed to get though the day without anything bad happening.

By the time school was over he was barely functioning so Randy made a quick stop to the grocery store and bought himself an energy drink right before practice. He stopped when he saw Seth looking through some of the snacks, walking over to him in his usual way "Y'know, chips aren't the best study food."

Seth jumped at the voice and turned to face Randy, cheeks turning a slightly darker shade of pink as he muttered "Who says I'm gonna study?"

"..You're carrying your weight in books and still pretty close to school." He observed, grinning a bit at the teen before shrugging and opening the drink. Randy took a long sip and licked his lips before patting Seth on the shoulder "At least eat some chocolate for me if you'll be having snacks for studying." He started walking away, "Good luck, Seth. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Seth hadn't gotten over the slight spark of desire that flushed through his hormonal body when Randy's tongue slid over his pink lips but when Randy touched his shoulder it was like damn lightning shot through him. It wasn't until Randy stopped talking that Seth even realized he'd made his way up to the counter already and he called brilliantly after him "uhhh see you." The teen shook his head, trying to snap out of his daze as he grabbed some chips and a chocolate bar before finding a water bottle and getting ready to pay. He needed to catch up on some subjects though he doubted that he'd be able to concentrate on school work after this.

Randy drove back to school, finishing his energy drink on his way there and already feeling a little more prepared for another 3-4 hours of torture.

…

"What do you mean you can't stay?" the freakishly tall man frowned down at one of the captains of his team.

Randy sighed at his coach and tried to meet that intimidating gaze "Nate has a game today. He always makes it to mine and I wanna be there for his. I can make the first hour and a half of practice but I'll have to skip weight room."

Coach Calaway shook his head but gave a slight hum "That kid better win his game."

He smiled and ran towards the field to catch up with the rest of his team. Randy devoted himself to practice and the time flew by. He took a few rough blows to his shoulder and abs but nothing that a good night's sleep wouldn't fix. By the time Coach called him off the field, he'd helped plan out a few good plays and taught some of the juniors tricks for the game.

Randy left John in charge before showering and changing into jeans and an old hoodie. He slung his bags over his shoulder and walked to his car. The drive to the junior high school was short but Randy had to pick up some snacks for his little brother so by the time he pulled up to the lot there was only 10 minutes left to the game.

He huffed and grabbed the bag before sprinting to the other side of campus where the fields were. Randy squeezed onto the first bench just as the teams were getting ready and smiled as Nate waved at him excitedly. He chuckled, relaxing a bit and giving his brother a thumbs up.

The whistle blew and Randy lounged back, watching his brother play. Nate was mid so he did a little of everything though personally Randy thought he belonged more in the defense side but that was something he'd discuss with him later. His brother was still kicking ass and managed to block two great plays from the opposing team.

By the half time Randy was at the edge of his seat, staring at the scoreboard in slight annoyance then gesturing his brother over. "Don't let them get to you. You pretend there's nothin' on the scoreboard, got it? Game's not over unless you give up."

Nate smiled and took a drink of the water Randy brought him before nodding and trying to clear his head "…Yeah, I got it."

Randy nodded, slapping his brother's back "Great. I think your coach wants to huddle. I'm rooting for you."

Nate's eyes shone as he nodded and ran to his team again.

The score was one to three which meant Nate's team needed three points to qualify for the tournament. Randy was starting to feel the pressure rise up but he could only hope for the best.

Another hour later, Randy was shaking his head at his brother and trying to soothe him. "It was a shitty call."

"That's not the point!"

Randy frowned and stayed quiet, handing his brother an ice pack for his head. The last of the players were filing out and Randy just sat with Nate, staring at the empty field as he patted Nate's shoulder. "We all know how that would've ended."

"But it didn't. I can't believe he didn't call penalty."

"You still won."

Nate deflated at that, small smirk on his face as he nodded "Damn right we did. Even with the officials on their side they couldn't take us."

Randy laughed at his little brother's quick turn of mood and patted his shoulder "There you go. That's the spirit. Now let's get the hell out of here and get some food."

…

"Seth!"

The two-toned teen frowned and looked around the front of the school before spying the blond teen walking his way. "Yeah?" he hesitated, feeling as if the kid's face was familiar but not quite remembering where he'd seen him.

"I'm Punk?"

Seth was only more confused at this, looking at the teen again "Uh.."

"Oh. Right, Phil? I'm in your art class."

"Oh." He nodded, smiling softly at the blond "What's up?"

He smiled back and handed Seth his sketchbook "You left this in there yesterday. I tried to find you after class but you sprinted out of there." Punk laughed "I admit I almost looked in there, but I didn't!" he grinned, "Anyway.. I'll see you later!"

Seth smiled and thanked the teen, making a note to talk to him more because 'Punk' was wearing a Deftones shirt and Seth figured if the kid was nice and had great music taste they should be friends. "Yeah, Thanks, man. I'm glad you're the one that found it. Heh.. my stuff would be exposed if anyone else had their hands on it." He chuckled and nodded at the blond once more before making his way to his first class.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Thank you for your suggestions. I'll be slowly adding a few of them in. Review?


	5. The reality

_**A/N:**_ Thank you all for the reviews and ideas. I really like where this story is going and I am glad to receive feedback from you guys.

**AnetteBP**: CHRIS! Ugh. I don't know why I didn't think of that. This is one of the reasons I love you :*

**Takers dark lover**: You're welcome, bb. :)

**SmoothieCat**: No, thank you for the support. I hope to keep your interest.

**RKOgirl87**: Thanks so much!

Guest: Thank you! c:

**TriggerWarnings:** _mentions of self-harm, shame, drug use, mentions of bullying_

* * *

Seth smiled and thanked the teen, making a note to talk to him more because 'Punk' was wearing a Deftones shirt and Seth figured if the kid was nice and had great music taste they should be friends. "Yeah, Thanks, man. I'm glad you're the one that found it. Heh.. my stuff would be exposed if anyone else had their hands on it." He chuckled and nodded at the blond once more before making his way to his first class.

Randy glanced over when he saw Seth heading to class, smiling a bit and patting Dean on the back "Why don't you ask your girl to help you in chem?"

"Don't be like that!"

"Orton! Are you threatening our best kicker?" Roman chimed in, hearing the discussion from where he was standing a few feet away with his own group of friends.

The co-captain shrugged before winking at Roman "Maybe I was. It ain't really a threat though. His girl actually knows her shit in that class. I heard she's close to having a perfect grade in there."

Dean grumbled "I can't ask her for help, man."

"Why not?" Mickie challenged, her brows furrowing with slight annoyance as she placed her hand on her hip "'cause she's supposed to be inferior?"

John chuckled, kissing Mickie's temple softly and cooing into her ear "Calm, down babe.. you know Ambrose lives in the damn clouds. I don't think he even knows what he's thinkin' half the time."

Dean flushed at that, apologizing to Mickie and just deciding to keep his trap shut before Mickie told his girlfriend about this conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was have a pissed Puerto Rican on his hands.

Randy laughed, seeing the faraway look on Ambrose's face and shaking his head as he looked at his phone for the time "You made him get all dopey, Micks.. ugh. I don't have time to look at Dean's smitten face." The group burst into laughter and Randy patted the blond's shoulder lightly before shrugging and headed into the school and opened the text he'd gotten.

_[From: Doe Eyes] Hey, how's life on the richer side going? ;P_

"Where the hell are you going?!"

Randy turned to look at his ex and grinned "I have another test tomorrow!"

The group groaned as a whole, Cody grunting out his annoyance "Another? How many tests does he plan on giving you on game days?"

Randy laughed and shrugged as he waved them off "You guys do know what Advanced Placement means, right?" He didn't wait for the answer and instead headed to his locker so he could put his books away and just keep the two he needed before first break. After slamming his locker closed and heading for class, Randy noticed Roman leaning against a locker and talking to someone. He grinned a bit and shook his head, not paying much attention to it until he walked past them and met Seth's glance. Their gazes locked for a few seconds before Seth flushed and turned away. Randy could only turn slightly to wink at Roman before shaking his head and laughing softly; the fucker worked fast.

_[To: Doe Eyes] It's alright. More smoke &amp; mirrors. :x How's the bay?_

He sat down on his usual seat and pulled out his binder, starting to go over the problems he'd highlighted during the past week though he really didn't feel that he needed to study for this test. Thankfully, the distraction for the last 5 minutes or so before class started came in the form of a cute blonde that was on the opposite side of the state from him.

_[From: Doe Eyes] It can't be that bad! _

_[From: Doe Eyes] It's as it's always been. Comfortable more than anything. _

_[To: Doe Eyes] It's not. I've just got a test I should be studying for. :c _

_[From: Doe Eyes] Shit. I forget your in harder classes. :l _

_[To: Doe Eyes] *You're. And yeah I am. Have to make sure I get into UCLA or Stanford _

_[From: Doe Eyes] :x Don't correct my grammar. Why not Harvard? _

_[To: Doe Eyes] If you wouldn't mess up so much I wouldn't have to ;) _

_[To: Doe Eyes] Because I wanna stay in California. _

_[From: Doe Eyes] Oh. That will do it. :c _

_[To: Doe Eyes] No big deal. Hey, I'll talk to you later. Classes. _

_[From: Doe Eyes] Kay. :* Take care. _

He stared at the last message, unsure how to take it as it was the first time Taryn had sent something like that even though they'd been texting since the party. Were they talking or were they already an item? Randy shrugged, facing forward as the second bell rang and his teacher started taking final questions before tomorrow's test.

Seth walked in just in time and smiled nervously at the teacher before taking the first empty seat he found and biting his lip when he realized he'd be sitting next to Randy. His cheeks were still slightly flushed from the conversation he had with Roman; not because the conversation was embarrassing but rather because the younger teen was attractive and his body seemed to hate him.

Randy grinned at the two-toned teen about half way through lecture when Mr. Michaels gave them time to look through the topics that would be on the test. "Psst.."

Seth bit his lip, looking over at Randy and smiling softly.

"You and Rome an item?" he teased, smirking when Seth's cheeks flushed a darker shade of red.

He shook his head, "N-no! He was just being nice. And.. teasing me for Monday."

Randy lifted a brow, shaking his head "He's never just 'nice' .. at least not from what I've heard. All I know is fucker's got his eyes set on you.. he says he's certain you play on the same team."

Seth's heart almost leaped out of his chest as he stumbled for words but just then Mr. Michaels called on Randy to give his opinion on the study sheet. He blew out a gust of air, glad he didn't have to answer that just yet because the last thing he needed was to be victimized for his sexuality like he was back home.. especially now that he was at a new school and trying to make friends and join activities.

Randy winked at Seth playfully, patting him and whispering "I'm not droppin' this.. I'm actually curious." He cleared his throat and sat up, looking at their teacher before droning on about derivatives and how they should be on integrals already. Half the classed groaned at that but it was the truth.

Seth gaped at Randy. He wanted Mr. Michaels to go through the material even faster? Damn perfect Randy and his stupid perfect life. He huffed and faced forward again as he started scribbling down anything and everything their teacher said.

Second period went a little better for him. Mrs. Stephens was a calm teacher and asked them to pair up for the year's second experiment. He started panicking before she projected a seating chart with their new assignments. Seth breathed out and took his seat, smiling politely at the tan girl with square glasses that took the stool next to his.

"I'm AJ." She announced rather happily, extending her hand for the stranger to take and nodding at him when he told her he was Seth. "Cool." The Puerto Rican fixed her glasses before slouching in her seat and opening up her chemistry book and pointing at the titrations they'd be doing for the experiment. "Are you comfortable with titrating?"

Seth nibbled his lip but gave a slight nod. Truthfully, he'd taken a summer course for chem to get AP credit before enrolling here but they didn't offer a science at a higher level than chemistry here so.. he had to retake it. "Yeah. You want me to do the calculations or set it up for us?" he asked.

AJ smiled wide at this and shrugged as she shoved their equipment to Seth and pulled out her notebook "I'll run the equation and you set it up."

He nodded and worked quickly, sliding his gloves and goggles on around his manbun before heading to get the chemicals from the hood. When he came back to the desk, AJ was staring at him wide-eyed but slightly smug as she patted the seat for him to sit down. Seth looked at her cautiously but took his seat.

After that, the titration went by quickly. The most time consuming part was getting the initial color change but after that the rest was cake. AJ let Seth work out the solution this time and just scanned over his work, smirking at him and relaxing against the barstool. They had about 20 minutes left of class. She chuckled "It's the first time I get paired with someone that can keep up with me."

Seth laughed. The comment should've sounded pretentious but AJ was actually looking at him with pride and curiosity so Seth couldn't take it the wrong way. "I have an unfair advantage." He admitted.

"What? You take this class already too?"

Seth shrugged "In a summer course. Got college credit for it already.. you?"

"Last year as a junior. But they told me I couldn't take 3 electives so they gave me the option of taking this or AP Calc. Yeah, no thanks." She grimaced. She was intelligent, no doubt about that but math wasn't exactly a subject she would take willingly.

"Huh. I'm starting to question why I'm even in AP Calc myself." He laughed, rubbing his jaw slightly.

"Orton start to make you nervous?" she teased.

"How d—"

"My best friend is in there. Dolph's always telling me about Randy's 'fuck it' attitude towards the class. Besides, my boyfriend is on the football team with Randy and he tells me the guy never shuts up about math or homework in general. It's like that and football are all he ever thinks about"

He hummed, shaking his head at the information. Seth couldn't say that was true of Randy himself since the times he'd talked to Randy the taller man always had something interesting to say. And on top of that, the night they met Randy had hinted at being discontent with life .. why, Seth would probably never know.

They spent the rest of the class talking about random things and Seth almost freaked when AJ told him she was into comics and old video games. He'd proposed that they have a game night one day and he'd bring over his SuperNintendo. The girl had laughed but it was a cute snorting laugh and Seth found himself laughing along as well. She never gave him an answer but they did exchange numbers so that had to mean that she'd be okay with talking to him again, right?

…

"Dad!" Nate screamed out excitedly as he waved around Randy's phone and looked for the man in their house. Randy had only remembered to record about five minutes into second half but that was okay, that was the better half anyway.

Bob smiled fondly as he rubbed the top of Nate's head and took the phone from his son. He watched the video with Nate giving commentary and Randy rolling his eyes with amusement as he sat at the desk downstairs and did his homework. His mom was mindlessly scrolling through her phone but at least she was downstairs with them. She only ever bothered when Bob was around.

Randy heard his own voice through the tiny speakers at the end of the game scream 'fuck yes!' and flinched just before his mom huffed in annoyance and scolded him for vulgar language out in public. He tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie, smile wiped off his face as soon as it came.

"Don't you have an exam tomorrow? You're not going to fall behind. If your grades start to dip I'm pulling you out of football."

He felt his heart race, looking at his dad helplessly and seeing the sad smile on the man's face as he shook his head lightly.

Randy knew what that meant. He understood that there were some battles that couldn't be carried out and would only cause more harm than good especially because everyone knew Randy's grades wouldn't tank. Still, it hurt to know that his dad wouldn't stand up for him.

"Nathan, Rebecca, please finish up whatever you're doing and go to sleep. It's a school night."

Funny. The woman was acting like a mother.. or at least her shitty attempt to pretend that she cares about them and not just about what other people would say if her kids weren't at the top of their classes and didn't look well-rested.

Randy ground his teeth together before getting up and collecting his things. He headed over and gave his dad a tight hug "Night, pa." he pulled away then scruffed Nate's head, smiling at him widely before moving to Becky and kissing her cheek. He only gave a slight nod to his mother and the woman seemed okay with that. He'd learned at around age 11 that his mother would only pretend to be affectionate in public. That was okay with him. He would always fill nauseous when the woman gave him empty hugs and emotionless gestures of love.

His skin was crawling, feeling the need to escape but knowing he couldn't pull something like that when his dad was around. The man already knew about Randy's cutting.. if Randy started showing other signs of distress he was sure his father would worry. Randy would only feel more ashamed if anyone worried about him. So he sucked it up and finished up his History homework before recording some dialogue for Spanish and heading to bed. His stomach was in knots, already dreading the weekend. He was probably the only teen that hated not having anything to do. Randy despised being alone with nothing but his thoughts and his mom's judgmental looks. He knew that's when it got worse. And he also knew that this weekend would be especially bad seeing as there would be no after-game party since Mickie would be going away for the weekend.

Randy looked at the clock on his nightstand once he slid into bed, frowning at the time and sighing heavily as he rummaged through the top drawer and popped multiple pain killers. Too bad they didn't take care of the pain he needed them to. Randy stared at the ceiling, humming one of his favorite songs to himself until the medication kicked in and he felt dizzy enough where his body would mistake it for sleepiness.

…

_That test was easy._ He slouched back on his seat and started going over his notes for Mr. Jericho's class seeing as the blond man liked to pop random questions and he seemed to love picking on Randy or any football player really.

_What the fuck?_ Seth frowned at the paper, hearing rustling all around him and cursing to himself as he scribbled down some steps that seemed kind of like the right steps. How was he even allowed into BC calc when he was barely starting AB in his old school? More importantly, why the hell did they not have advanced sciences if they had math on steroids at this school?! _I'm so screwed._ The two-toned teen nibbled on the side of his pencil as he thought of anything that might remind him on how to solve the last two problems.

Minutes ticked by and Randy pulled out his headphones, plugging in and selecting his relaxing playlist as he read through the notes. All Time Low's melodic songs calmed him down as he tapped his highlighter along to the beat and scribbled down more notes. By the time class was done, Randy had gotten notes done and even got a head start on next month's English paper. There was no way he'd let his grades slip now. Letting that happen meant spending more time at home.

After Calc was over with he got through the rest of the day pretty easily. Randy only received minimal teasing from Jericho but it was nothing he couldn't handle. And Spanish had thrown him for a loop with the pop oral presentations but Randy got through that with flying colors and even went over the expected time. Señor Alberto looked at him with just a hint of pride before the look vanished off his face and the stoic man called upon the next person.

Before he knew it, it was time to board the busses for the first game in the big leagues. Randy sighed as he pulled on his long-sleeved trainer before slipping on a t-shirt and sweats. He headed to the bus and smiled when he saw John saving him a seat towards the back.

John helped Randy put his stuff on top before sitting down next to his long-time friend and tapping Randy's thigh softly "You ready?"

Randy hummed, mind not fully there as he shrugged "As ready as I can be."

That's when Roman walked in and sat a row in front of them, Dean taking the seat opposite of the Samoan "What kinda talk is that, Cap? You're supposed to be giving us a pep talk! What happened?"

He rolled his eyes, punching Roman on the arm "Pep talks aren't fuckin' necessary. We're gonna win this shit. And we're going to win by a landslide. Show these fuckers what we're made of."

Coach Calaway stepped in then, grinning at the hollers he heard from the back and nodding at Randy as he blew the whistle "Ya'll heard him, ladies! We're taking this one home. By the time we get off this bus your asses better be ready to hustle.. I'll tell ya what, if we win by more than 12 I'm getting you guys dinner anywhere you want."

John whistled and the bus erupted into chaotic shouting and laughing as they cheered for that and the bus started moving.

Randy only grinned and shook his head, plugging himself back in because he'd need some time to himself if he wanted to be in the zone.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Added a few more faces to the story. **Review**? :)


	6. The abyss

A/N: Thinking of adding another fic on here for a different fandom soooooo if/when updates get slower.. you know why.

**TriggerWarnings:** _mentions of self-harm, parental disputes, scars, shame, guilt, anxiety_

* * *

John whistled and the bus erupted into chaotic shouting and laughing as they cheered for that and the bus started moving.

Randy only grinned and shook his head, plugging himself back in because he'd need some time to himself if he wanted to be in the zone.

.~.~.~.

The rest of Friday went by quicker than he'd expected. He'd talked to Roman about his advances with Seth and with John about his weekend away with Mickie's family before deciding to plug in. The game itself was amazing. They won by 14 points and Coach Calaway made good on his promise, hell he'd even bought ice cream for them to enjoy on the bus ride back to school. Randy slept through most of the ride back, John comfortably leaning against him and Cody's blanket draped over them.

Saturday didn't pass as quickly as he would've liked though. But, truthfully, he should be thankful that Nate and Becky needed him to give him rides for most of Saturday because if not he and Elaine would've had quality 'bonding' time. The weekend could've been much worse.

Randy reread his completed essay for the third time, sighing as he realized there was nothing more he could change without admitting to Ms. McMahon that he was a month ahead. Yeah, like he needed to be labeled as anything more. He checked his email and hummed at the message from Mr. Michaels informing the Calc class that the scores were overall high though there were 4 or so kids in the class that were borderline failing the course already. Randy shook his head and checked his grades, smirking at the 98 he saw there and finally shutting his laptop. The football player stared out the window for some time before he got hungry and he couldn't procrastinate leaving his room any more. He cursed, getting up and finally leaving his room.

He got downstairs and went straight to the kitchen and prepared himself a quick snack. Randy finished the sandwich and headed into their living room. The house sounded oddly quiet and he had a feeling Becky was either at rehearsals or with friends and Nate was more than likely practicing. He hoped his mother was out as well but he had a feeling she was just upstairs working on one of her many activities.

Randy sat down on the couch and pulled up Netflix, watching White Chicks the whole way through and feeling slightly calm as he set up the Wii instead and started playing Mario Kart.

Halfway through his second race his mom gave an exasperated sigh from the top of the stairwell and Randy winced. He started shutting off the game but the damage had been done.

"You've been on that thing for hours."

"Two hours." He corrected as he put the controllers away and stretched a bit.

"Don't talk back to me."

Randy ground his teeth together but didn't say anything more and began heading back to the kitchen for some water.

"What you should be doing is schoolwork. You're close to the top of your class, I bet you can get Valedictorian if you tried hard enough."

He stopped, turning to look at her and feeling sadness and anger fill him. His mom had that affect; she could make him feel things that shouldn't be felt simultaneously with just one sentence. "I've done all my schoolwork. We just had a test in Calc. Spanish project is done – at least my part. Next two English papers are done. History notes are taken. Chem lab report is done a week in advance. There is nothing more to do."

"Recheck your work."

Randy growled a bit at that, throwing his hands up in the air and giving his mom an annoyed look "I have! It's why I came down here to relax. It's Sunday, _Elaine_.. I usually don't even spend the weekend at this house."

"Don't talk to me like that. And I know you don't.. **always** out with your friends doing god knows what."

He laughed, shaking his head and grabbing his keys. "What do you want me here for? So you can scream at me for no reason when Dad's not around? Or maybe to take a break from sitting around with a stick up your ass?"

"Randall Keith Orton! I forbid you to talk to me that way! I am your mother."

Randy actually scoffed at that, opening the door and glaring at her "You should start acting like one." He turned to leave but not before stopping and looking at the woman ".. here's a tip, _ma_: try giving people respect and TRUST and maybe then you'll build real relationships.. not ones based off money and business."

"Your father will hear about this."

"Good. Maybe that way he'll finally realize how irrational you are with your pretenses and I can tell him what you think of me. Bein' Salutatorian not good enough for the Orton name?" he rolled his eyes and shook his head before slamming the door behind him, not even bothering to listen to what the woman had to say because she'd undoubtedly only play victim and then push everything back on Randy, making him feel even more ashamed and guilty than he already did.

_Just a few more months._

He felt another wave of guilt rush through him then. He shouldn't be feeling this excited to leave his family behind. He was leaving Nate to his mother's abusive words and Becky with his mother as the only guide through life when their father wasn't around. Randy's skin began crawling, head starting to spin. He slammed the door to his car and revved the engine, searching around frantically in his glove compartment and sliding on the thick rubber band he always kept there.

**Snap**. **Snap**. Pain shot across his wrist then dulled to a slight stinging, distracting him from the itching of his skin and the tapping of his fingers.. **Snap**. but most importantly distracting him from the urge to self-harm.

Once his breathing calmed down enough and he was sure he was able to fully focus on driving, Randy shifted the car into gear and began driving. He didn't know where he was going but that was okay. Driving soothed him and gave him something to focus his mind on. His favorite playlist was on and right now he was feeling okay. Not good, not better.. just okay. His default setting.

Soon, it was dark out and before Randy even knew where he was going, he parked next to the beach. Randy smiled softly to himself and just stared at the distant waves he could see from his car. He reached for his phone to snap a picture and maybe send it to Cody so he could come talk to him but cursed when he remembered that he'd left it at the house.

Randy groaned and tossed his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car for a few minutes. He shot up when he remembered that he always kept a bag under his backseat for nights like this. The teen reached for the red bag and smirked as he pulled out a few bills. He may be phone-less right now but at least he could finally get something to drink and maybe walk along the beach.

He walked the two blocks to the store and bought a water bottle as well as a chocolate bar because fuck his diet and because he needed something to perk up the night. Randy was familiar with this beach, spending countless hours here with his brother and dad –and more recently, now with his friends.

Randy thought back to the first time he came to the beach with John and actually got in the water. It was about five years ago and he could still picture the look of worry and shock on John's face when he saw the few scars Randy already had on his 12-year-old body. The conversation they had after John began questioning him dulled the rest of their time at the beach but even then.. it brought them closer together than they ever were. John invited him and Nate over as much as his family would allow and that's really when John's family became like a home to him.

Randy was thankful for the darkness surrounding him and making it hard for couples and families to see the scars along his arms. It was something he was self-conscious about. And had he known he was going to end up at the beach he would've brought a hoodie; it's not like he planned on swimming right now.

It was easy not to think of anything here, the crash of the waves against the sand and rocks taking his mind away from what happened at the house. He aimlessly walked along the beach, reaching down every so often to pick up a nice shell and inspect it or grab a rock and toss it into the sea.

Randy surprised himself when he ended up at the little hideaway he met Seth in. He considered leaving but decided against it since it was empty and isolated. The teen needed a place like this right now. He sighed and sat down on the rock, hunching over and running his fingers through the cool sand.

The moon was high up in the sky by now, its pale light making the sea look even more peaceful than it usually did. He bit his lip and drew random patterns in the sand as he looked out into the ocean. Sometimes he wished he could be part of it.. just get lost in it and not have to worry about the stress drowning him on a day to day basis. But as terrible as his mother made him feel or as horrid as his thoughts got.. he didn't think he'd ever be brave enough to make that sacrifice. The guilt of leaving his brother and sister behind with that haunting them through school was suffocating him from just thinking about it.

He snapped the rubber band again and just looked out into the water, mind slowly going blank as he continued to slap the elastic around his wrist.

"-_irl can I tell you a terrible thing, it seems that I'm sick and I've only got wee_-.." Seth trailed off from the quiet singing as he got closer to the alcove, frowning a bit when he heard sniffles just loud enough to be heard over the crash of the water against the sand. When he stepped around and saw someone sitting on his favorite spot, the moonlight illuminating the person just enough for Seth to make out their face. "Oh sh-.. I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was here." He muttered as he started backtracking, mind spinning with questions.

Randy immediately stopped the snapping at the sound of the first syllable being uttered. He got up and stepped away from the voice, instinctively trying to hide his scars with the darkness as he shook his head. Once he looked up and his gaze locked with Seth's, he turned a slight red and wiped at his face. The football player cleared his throat and shook his head again "N-nah. Don't worry about it. I was just leaving."

Before he could stop himself, Seth muttered out "You don't have to."

Randy held gazes with the teen as if checking if it was a real offer. He absently rubbed at his arm and looked out over the water again, actually considering staying there. Perhaps it was the fact that Seth didn't know him or that Seth hadn't been around Randy enough to make assumptions about him.. but Randy felt relatively calm around the other teen. Hell, he felt like Seth was the only one in his life that didn't have expectations for him.. that made it easy for Randy to act like himself.

He let out a breath and inched closer as he looked out to the water again "I feel like I'm takin' your spot if I stay."

The teen's voice was strained and Seth knew right away he'd been crying. He didn't comment on it seeing as it wasn't his place to be saying anything but he did shrug as he sat down where Randy had been and reached over to give the football player his water and smirking when he saw the candy bar. "It's not my spot. I mean I do come here almost every night but.. everyone can use it." he flushed when he realized he wasn't making sense and handed Randy the chocolate as well. "I thought you didn't eat sweets?"

Randy blinked, small smile on his face as he caught on to what Seth was referring to "I never said I didn't. I just rarely do." He grinned as he took the candy bar and broke it in half, passing some to Seth and sitting on the sand next to the two-toned teen.

He took the candy and hummed in thought as he bit into the sweet treat "..I swear if I didn't know any better I'd think you were fattening me up to keep me from the team."

"What team?"

Seth flushed, shaking his head and shrugging "I'm in the swim team.. it's a good way to keep up with the cardio." He shrugged and sucked on the candy, humming as the chocolate melted on his tongue.

Randy smirked, nodding as he brought his knees up to his chest, arms resting over his knees as he looked out to the water. "Teddy finally convinced you?"

He looked over at the football player, opening his mouth to ask how Randy knew Ted but then remembering that Randy was one of the most popular kids in school. Seth closed his mouth and shook his head as he finished off the chocolate Randy offered him "Nah. Well.. yeah, but not alone. This kid named Dolph actually told me that it wasn't just about recruiting.. he told me that I was actually pretty fast and.. maybe they could help me out with techniques."

Randy nodded, smiling at Seth "That's good. Ted was about ready to beg you.. at least that's what Codes told me." He shrugged.

Seth flushed but didn't say anything, looking out over the water and just enjoying the comfortable silence.

After a few minutes, he looked over at Randy and frowned slightly "I don't know how long I will be able to stay on the team though."

Randy met Seth's gaze, frowning slightly and immediately thinking about Cody's childish behavior and hoping the teen didn't threaten Seth in any way. "Why not?" he asked cautiously.

"Uh.. you got Michaels's email, right?"

He nodded and looked out over to the water, the ocean breeze caressing his face and making him close his eyes "Yep."

Seth flushed a bit and tugged at the hem of his tank top, looking at the ground and muttering out "I'm one of the four."

Randy looked up, eyes focusing on Seth as he shook his head "Really?!"

"I.. yeah." He nibbled his lip and quickly explained himself "..I didn't think it'd be this hard! I was in AB Calc at my old school but your school doesn't offer it as a full curriculum so.. I needed to take BC. I wasn't prepared for all the extra shit." He chuckled nervously.

Randy chuckled and leaned over just enough to nudge the two-toned teen lightly "So.. you tried stepping into the longer, complicated shit without learning the basics first?"

"Hey! I know the basics. That's what pre-calc was for."

Randy snorted, "Pre-calc was just trig."

Seth grumbled and looked towards the water again, face burning with embarrassment. He shouldn't have told Randy that. The teen was probably just going to rub it in. Seth braced himself for the teasing and set his jaw.

When Randy looked over after Seth's silence, he frowned when he saw the scowl on the two-toned teen's face. "It was a joke." He smiled brightly at the thinner teen "I never woulda been able to do this class without taking AB so props to you and shit." Randy thought to himself for a moment, "…I can help you out if you want."

Seth shook his head quickly "No.. it's okay. I don't wanna bother you. You have enough goin' on with the team and school."

Randy chuckled, "Actually.. it's not enough. I still spend more time than I'd like to at the house."

Seth frowned and looked over at Randy "You barely have time to do homework though."

He rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky "I wouldn't be offering if I didn't want to help. Besides it'd be good review for me for the tests and that way I don't have to study."

He hummed, shrugging a bit "Y-yeah.. okay."

"..if you want. I'm not gonna force you to take my help." He chuckled, "you're actually helping me out too."

"How?"

Randy shrugged, "…givin' me a break from having to act like everything is perfect?"

He waited, feeling as if Randy was going to say more and for a long time the football player didn't so Seth thought of something to say to fill the silence.

"…..sorry."

Seth looked at Randy in disbelief "For what?"

He shrugged, unsure what he was really apologizing for but being so used to doing it whenever he caused someone to feel uncomfortable. Randy started playing with the rubber band, fingers nervously gliding over his wrist as he stared at the water.

The silence started to feel constricting. Seth shifted on the rock and rested his elbows on his thighs. "You don't have shit to apologize for. If anything I should for asking about shit that's clearly none of my business."

Randy looked at Seth "Considering you're the first one to bother askin' that isn't John or Cody… you shouldn't apologize." He bit his lip and stretched his legs out "You have your phone on you?"

"Okay.." Seth relaxed a little and nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Can I see it?"

Seth bit his lip but pulled out his phone, handing it over to the football player and watching as Randy typed away on it and the 'sent message' tone sounded from his phone. He looked at Randy with slight confusion but the man just got up and stretched his arm out, offering Seth his phone again.

"My number is in there. I texted myself. Let me know if you change your mind about wanting a tutor for calculus."

Seth looked down to his phone and could just make out the faint scars on Randy's arm. If it wasn't for the day old ones on the football players forearm he wouldn't even think much of them but Seth knew what those were. He had two on his inner thigh. His dad walked in on him cleaning them up and.. wasn't understanding or helpful so that's why his mom ended up bringing him to Santa Barbara. His gaze lingered for a moment before he took the phone and looked up to Randy's face. He wanted to smile at the teen but Randy was now looking down, arms crossed as he stood awkwardly. He was going to say something, anything to let Randy know that he wouldn't tell if Randy didn't want him to but before he could Randy started walking away.

"I'll s..see you tomorrow."

Randy's voice was nervous but Seth nodded at the teen, "Sure.."

Randy bit his lip and walked back to the car in silence, hating the feeling of shame and disgust that washed over him right now.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Well.. hope this answered some of the questions that'd been brought to my attention. Also, the fic I'll be posting as soon as I get the green light from my amazing love is in Teen Wolf fandom ya know, just in case you lovelies were wondering xD Leave your reviews? :)


	7. Lost in the haze

_**A/N: **_ I know it's been a while but my laptop messed up and just yesterday I fixed my old one. Sorry, guys and thank all of you for your reviews and continued support.

* * *

Randy bit his lip and walked back to the car in silence, hating the feeling of shame and disgust that washed over him right now.

The ride back to the house was exhausting and by the time he'd parked outside he considered sleeping out there for the night. It wasn't until he remembered that he needed to get things ready for school that he forced himself out of the car.

The teen went upstairs without bothering to greet his mother. He showered and laid out everything for the next day in hopes of relaxing after experiencing what he was sure was the end of a great friendship. Randy sighed, trying to put that out of his mind as he grabbed his phone to set his alarm for the morning.

_[From: Unk] Hi. :P_

_[From: Unk] Randy, hey it's Seth. I know I have no right to ask so I won't. I just want u to know that I won't tell if that's what ur worried about._

_[From: Unk] We all have stuff that we carry around. I'm here if u need to talk._

Of course he knew who it was after reading the first message he sent to himself at the beach but he definitely wasn't prepared for or expecting the other two. His gut wrenched a bit as he thought over what to respond. It was already later than he'd like but he couldn't ignore this message. First, he focused on saving Seth's number, snorting when he thought of what clever name to put down.

_[To: Rogue] Thanks but I don't like talking about it in general so don't take it personal or anything. It's good to know you don't think I'm some sort of freak or that you have to report my behavior to my parents. c:_

_[From: Rogue] It's only personal if I make it. Just take care of urself. I'll c u 2moro._

_[To: Rogue] Yeah, see you tomorrow. :P Night, man._

_[From: Rogue] Nite. Oh PS: When do we start calc lessons?_

_[To: Rogue] As soon as you want. Just so you know, Michaels gives you a retry if you ask for it and he sees improvement in your second test. Not to push you or anything. ;)_

_[From: Rogue] Yea. 2moro after practice?_

_[To: Rogue] Sure. Later, Seth._

_[From: Rogue] Nite. :)_

The ringing in his head had definitely gone down after sorting that out with Seth.. and it helped knowing that he'd have an added excuse to stay away from the house for the remaining months. Randy smiled softly as he set the alarm then put the phone down on the nightstand, yawning quietly as sleep took him quickly after a day filled with emotional turmoil.

~.~.~.~

"Dude! We just won another game! We are celebrating tonight."

"It's Thursday night." he gave his best friend an unimpressed look, shaking his head at the blond.

"And? When has that ever stopped you before? Besides, you love finding excuses to stay away from your house."

Randy flushed, looking around their group of friends and sending John a nasty glare. "Whatever."

John sighed, "I.. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry.. but it's just.. you always come along, ya know?"

"Not tonight. Maybe after tomorrow's game I'll go. Sorry, guys." He nodded at the rest of the few teammates around them as well as Mickie and April. "Have fun."

"We'll see ya round." Cody chimed in, smiling at his best friend then shooting another glare towards John. They might've known about why Randy spent so much time out of that house but the rest of their friends didn't and Cody wanted to keep it that way for as long as Randy wanted them to.

Randy only gave Cody a slight nod before leaving to the school library. He sighed a bit, rubbing a hand over his face as he adjusted his gym bag on one shoulder and backpack on the other. Randy cheered himself up by thinking about how he'd be spending time with Seth soon and the mask didn't have to be on for a few hours. It was strange, the more time he spent with Seth the more he stopped seeing him as just a friend. Seth wasn't exactly in the same category as John or Cody but whatever it was that Randy was starting to feel it made him feel at ease most of the time.

He glanced towards the library entrance, seeing Randy walking in and feeling his stomach do that annoying flip thing. _'What do you think?'_ Seth looked back at Roman, smiling nervously and shrugging a bit "Uh.. I have to study for the calculus test next week." he explained, trying to shift away from the Samoan once Roman's hand started traveling too low on his back.

Roman looked towards where Seth had been looking, dark eyes finding who it was right away and smiling softly because he couldn't really be bitter over something he didn't even have. He nodded at the teen "Okay. Well maybe you can take a break tomorrow and come to the party after the game.. I'm sure Randy will invite you to that one too."

"I.." Seth started but Roman lifted a hand and shrugged softly, effectively cutting him off. The swimmer bit his bottom lip and looked down, "Sorry. I seem to like making my life difficult and shooting for people that hardly know I exist."

Roman laughed, patting Seth's shoulder "Maybe the chase will pay off?" not that he would know, Seth was the first one that he tried getting at that refused his advances and Roman was pretty sure that it was only because he was smitten with Randy.

"I doubt it." he laughed softly, putting up his hair into a sloppy bun and shrugging at Roman "Thank you, though.. for not getting upset."

"We'll see. And nothing to be upset about.. not like we were already dating."

Seth gave a quick nod and hugged Roman quickly before making sure his calculus book was in his bag then walking into the library. He'd never get used to the rows and rows of books or the ten different study sections there were in this library especially since his old school was about half the size of his senior class here. The teen pulled out his phone and shot Randy a text.

_[From: Rogue] Where r u 2day? :x_

_[From: Doe Eyes] What are you saying?_

Randy ignored the second text, he couldn't think about this right now especially because Taryn was acting as if he'd broken up with her when as far as he knew they'd never been dating. How could they when they hardly talked and when they did it was about weather and potential parties; all he did was point that out to her. He shook his head, typing a response back to Seth.

_[To: Rogue] Same place as yesterday. The one close to the windows overlooking the field._

_[From: Rogue] Whiteboards?_

_[To: Rogue] Yes. How are you supposed to practice without them? ;P_

Seth huffed, rolling his eyes at the sarcasm he could practically taste from the message and pulled his bag to secure it on his shoulders before heading straight to the third study section from the entrance. He dropped his bag on the long, wooden table and glared at the other teen "I don't need your sass, okay? I was just asking because I'm not used to being in this place yet."

"You're finishing off your second week!"

"Exactly." he pulled out his book and notepad before taking out his case and sliding on his glasses. Seth glared at Randy warningly as if expecting the smart remark about his glasses like the first time Randy had seen them and every day since.

Randy pressed his lips together, trying -and failing- to hide a smirk as he looked at Seth. It wasn't that the man couldn't pull off the glasses but rather that they made him look younger and nicer than he actually was and Randy would always find that hilarious because, as he'd learned these past four days, Seth could have a mean streak. He cleared his throat, "Where are we startin' today?"

Seth breathed out a sigh of relief though his cheeks were still a little flushed. If it wasn't for him swimming his eyes wouldn't be hurting after practice so much that he had to take out his contacts. "Uh.. integrals?"

"You sure? You were still having some trouble with derivatives last time." Randy flipped through the book for a question he was sure

Michaels would put on the next test and pointed it out to Seth before tapping the teen's notepad "If you solve this one on your own we'll move on.. if not we'll keep going."

"Randy.." he huffed, almost pouting at the other teen.

"You wanted me to teach you and I've never done anything half-assed. I'm sure as hell not starting now. Besides.. Michaels is giving us an extra week to study since last scores were lower than he expected.." he grinned when Seth mumbled under his breath "What was that?"

Seth's cheeks heated up and he bit his lip, shaking his head in embarrassment and getting to work on the problem. He was so focused on the problem that he didn't notice Randy's eyes on him.

The football player looked down at Seth's paper after a while, seeing him erase something then bring the pencil to his lips to chew on it nervously. He scanned his gaze over the teen's lips before looking away and clearing his throat once more. This couldn't happen. One of his friends had a thing for Seth and he was sure Seth had heard too much of Randy's personal life to see him that way any more.

"There." Seth grinned victoriously, shoving his notepad towards his tutor/friend and tapping his left foot anxiously as he waited for

Randy to check his work. He grumbled when the man just did a quick pass and hummed, wondering how this man had such a knack for the horrid subject.

"Okay. We can get this going." He nodded and flipped to the right page in his book before getting up and writing some stuff on the whiteboard.

The study session went by slower than usual and Seth had a feeling that it was because Randy asked about Roman and him and Seth panicked and said they were too different and Randy had been seemingly lost in thought since then. He scratched his chin, the barely there stubble aggravating his finger a little as he stood in front of the whiteboard and worked on his second problem of the night since the first 40 minutes had been Randy writing simplified notes and examples while they chatted about their sports teams.

Randy looked at the teen from his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and humming softly as he waited for Seth to begin. It took Seth about 15 minutes to finish the problem and Randy frowned when he looked at the wrong answer. He shook his head and pointed out the mistake about halfway through "That's okay. You just have to remember the rules.. it solves itself." he assured Seth.

He calmed down at that, nodding and erasing everything after that point before finishing off the problem successfully and even doing two others that were just about the same difficulty. "Ha!" he grinned, throwing his hand up in the air but promptly shutting up when a group of students glared his way. "I knew I was ready for this!"

Randy smiled, having accepted what they spoke about earlier, as he squeezed Seth's shoulder softly "Yeah, now you can do the rest of the homework on your own. It's only two more questions." he smirked a bit, stretching and glancing at the clock "Fuck. It's almost closing time. I didn't mean to talk your brain out so much."

"You wouldn't have to if I would've gotten it the first time." he muttered, cheeks flaming a bit as he felt slightly guilty for making Randy spend his night here when the rest of the team was having a party.

"I didn't mean it that way.. I told you, you're doin' me a favor." he smiled as they started collecting their things "Besides, I didn't have any plans tonight anyway."

Seth blinked, "What about the party?" he said before he could stop himself.

Randy shrugged "Rome invited you? I'm not goin'. Wasn't in the mood.. besides, I had better places to be."

He felt his cheeks flush as he nodded, looking down "Oh. Okay.. well thank you. I'll let you go get some rest."

The football player smiled and gave a quick nod "I won't for a while, bit thanks. Oh! Wanted to ask if we could skip tomorrow's lesson and do it on Saturday instead?"

"Uh.. sure."

Randy grinned, "awesome. Now you don't have an excuse to say no to our football party tomorrow?" He chuckled, looking at Seth hopefully.

"Uh.. I might need a ride but.. if I can get one, yeah."

"I'll take you. Don't worry about it. It's after our game which should end about two hours after your practice. If you can be ready and at school by then we can leave from here."

Seth nodded warily, old nerves and experiences with jocks making him want to run away now that he'd be at one of their parties. "It at the beach again?"

Randy smiled, having an idea of why Seth asked that especially since the teen was biting his lip nervously. "Yeah. So we can just split away from the rest if it gets bad."

Seth breathed out a sigh of relief, nodding at Randy and this time smiling at him "cool. I'll see you then!" He blushed when Randy winked at him and patted his shoulder, returning the gesture with a slight bump to the teen's hip.

Randy knew it for sure now.. but he didn't want to feel it or admit it so he just grinned at Seth like he always did before they said their goodbyes.


	8. The beacon of light

_**A/N:**_ It has been too long. And I will say that the main reason I am writing this is because this is my most realistic fic and because I have addressed social issues here and from the fanbase I've gathered for The Other Side I know some of you feel the same way about the issues. Sorry it took me so long.

**TakersDarkLover**: because he has a fear of things going to shit.. it's part of the depression, bb. If you do want an in depth explanation DM me?

Guest: thank you!

**SmoothieCat**: You're very welcome and hope this one is okay if you even get around to reading it.

**SamoRolly**: Thank you!

* * *

…

Seth pushed his hair back again, hating the way the curls prevented him from having neat hair especially after swim practice. Still, he had to admit he loved being on that team and the fact that he seemed to be appreciated for his speed made him feel better about himself. Being on the team also taught him a few things about SBSH itself, like people in this school were apparently pretty open about their sexualities here and at least three of the guys on the team had boyfriends. It was a lot different than Iowa that was for sure.

He wasn't even sure if he was wearing 'party appropriate' clothing since he'd never been to a high school football party in a town like this. Seth grumbled as he pushed his hair back again and waited next to Randy's car, arms tucked in close to his body as if he was trying to make himself as invisible as possible.

"I can hear your thinkin from the field, man. Relax."

Seth flinched and looked over at Randy, smiling nervously as he stopped messing with his hair and fixed the strap of his gym bag. "Shut up. You'd be the same if you were new and picked on at your old school."

Randy didn't comment because Seth rarely talked about this so instead he waited until he was at the car and messed up the two-toned male's hair "I probably would be. Lucky for you, this school is much better and you're at least tolerated." He teased.

Seth huffed, fixing his hair yet again and cursing Randy under his breath before sliding into the car with his gym bag on his lap.

The football captain smirked, sliding in as well but tossing both bags into the back and looking at Seth "Relax. We got the beach as an escape, remember?"

That did make him at least start breathing normally again. Seth gave a slight nod but quickly felt his cheeks flush that slight tinge of red when he remembered the first time they met and how that'd gone. "They gonna be playing ADTR at the party?" he asked hopefully.

"Nah. That's most of the reason I leave. They don't get it."

With that, Randy started driving them to the beach house and their conversation consisted of favorite bands and songs. He might have been made fun of for the MyChem interest but he got Randy back with the BVB talk. By the time they were parking towards the back of Mickie's beach house, Seth was calm and laughing along with Randy as the male sang some Pop Punk cover of a Taylor Swift song. "Jesus…" he muttered, swallowing hard as he saw the line up of cars and the crowd of people around the house "I thought you guys tied?"

"We did."

"…what the hell is with the ball?"

Randy laughed, "The tie qualified us to keep in the tournament. If we win next week we get to go to state eliminations then nationals. First time SBSH is even in the running for this shit."

Seth nodded, fingers sliding through his hair once more "Congrats."

"Thanks. Now let's go. Unbutton the top two buttons of your shirt."

Seth flushed, looking down at his shirt but doing as he was told before avoiding Randy's gaze altogether.

"It's not so I can check ya out.. Dean can be a dick when it comes to fully buttoned shirts since he's that v-neck-wearin, white trash kinda guy." He informed Seth before grinning as he slid out of the car and winked back at the still slightly flustered teen ".. not gonna lie though, I'll be checkin you out anyway."

The walk up to the beach house was tense mostly because Seth was a blushing mess and Randy thought he'd overstepped some line.

"H-.."

"Th-.."

They both stopped, looking at each other and laughing.

Randy smacked Seth's shoulder lightly and squeezed the muscle "Let's just get this shit over with. I don't wanna be here any more than you do. But I like ya so figured we'd suffer together."

Seth chuckled and gave a slight nod as they stepped into the porch area that was crowded with inebriated teens dancing to some unknown song. He stuck close to Randy until they were inside, immediately reaching for a beer when they were close enough.

"Ran!"

Both men turned to see Mickie running up to them excitedly. The short girl gave Randy a hug then smiled a wickedly large smile as she said, "I have a surprise for you."

"That so? You letting me stay in this place for a full weekend on my own?"

She laughed, "No! Guess who's here!"

Randy looked at Mickie rather confused but as soon as he saw the blonde head weaving through the crowd towards them, he knew. He looked at Mickie, "Didn't John tell you?"

Mickie smiled nervously "So she might not know you're here. Surprise for both of you!"

Seth could feel Randy's discomfort and gently tugged the male's sleeve "Time for a walk?"

Randy looked at Seth and shook his head, "Not yet.. I just need to clear this out."

"Micks!" The blonde giggled and wrapped an arm around her cousin before her brown eyes landed on Randy and she smiled nervously. "Hey Randy."

A slight nod, "Taryn."

The look Taryn flicked towards Randy's lips didn't go unnoticed by Seth. He shrunk himself back a little because that was what was in his nature, avoiding attention when it was possible. The swimmer watched as Mickie got distracted by the music then left the three of them alone. Soon Randy's voice was guarded again as he talked to Taryn. Honestly, Seth couldn't hear most of it. He only made out some words along with some heavy sighs from both sides. He was surprised though when they both hugged it out, just shifting awkwardly because he had nowhere to go since he only knew Randy here.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Honesty. Guys woulda strung me along until I put out or refused to then told me how they felt." She chuckled, rubbing the back of her arm.

"Your school sounds worse than mine." He teased, ignoring her thanks altogether because he didn't see a reason why she should be thanking him. Randy finally turned to Seth, seeing him leaning against a Table with his dark eyes flicking over the crowd nervously. The football player nudged Seth and smiled at him before turning back to Taryn, "…Tar, this is Seth, my friend. He just moved a few weeks back. Seth, this is Taryn, Mickie's cousin that lives in San Fran."

Seth smiled, nodding at the blonde and extending his hand only to get laughed at and pulled into a small hug. Cheeks flushed yet again because Seth wasn't expecting that. "N-nice to meet you."

Taryn smiled, gaze switching between the two teens. She met Randy's gaze with a knowing look, grinning at the football captain before taking a deep breath and putting her hands up. "Nice meeting you too. I'm going to go find Mickie because I need some food.. you two have fun!"

Randy smirked at the wink she tossed his way, grateful that the conversation was well-received after all. He winked back and faced Seth only to see his face a deep enough red that Randy could make it out even in the dim lighting. The football player had to hide a chuckle, wrapping his arm around Seth and squeezing him lightly. "Lighten up."

"What was that about?"

"Taryn? Uh.. we tried something.. didn't work out all too well. She's nice but, too different I guess."

Seth rolled his eyes, "Not that."

Randy pretended he didn't hear that, dragging the teen with him towards his group of friends so they could get the introductions out of the way for the night.

The male huffed, dropping the conversation only because he saw the group of guys and a few girls that were staring at them from across the room. Two of them were murmuring things to each other and Seth fidgeted a little, tugging his sleeve out of Randy's grip. "Randy?"

He turned, frowning at Seth before seeing the worry on his face and looking down. He couldn't even imagine what it was like being harassed by people so often that meeting them was fear-inducing. Randy stopped and faced the two-toned male, "I know it won't help much but they just wanna meet you. Only Cody knows you and that's 'cause Ted is your captain.. we don't have to be there long."

Seth was very aware of how Randy fully turned his back on his group of friends to make sure none of them knew what he was saying. He exhaled, hands shaking slightly so he tucked them in his pockets. "I'm gonna be awkward."

Randy laughed then, turning back around as he called back to Seth "I wouldn't expect any different."

…

John waited patiently for his turn, arm looped around Mickie's shoulders as he watched Dean punch Seth in the arm in that weird ass way he did to show he liked someone. The co-captain smiled, watching on as he took a sip of his drink.

…

April walked back over to the group with drinks in hand, smiling wide when she saw Seth was there. She handed both drinks to Dean then wrapped her short arms around Seth's body even though the two-toned teen was currently talking to Ted. "Hey! I didn't know you were coming?!"

Seth tensed as soon as the arms wrapped around him, preparing himself for the worst but he heard the quiet voice and smiled wide. He turned back, not returning the hug but engaging in conversation with AJ regardless "I didn't either. It was kind of a kidnapping if you ask me."

"Uh-oh.. who was it? You're on their radar." April warned, looking around warily before almost jumping out of her skin when Dean's hand rested against her waist. "eee! Don't do that!" she smacked the kicker, immediately earning a bashful apology and pointedly ignoring how the entire crowd of guys started hollering at Dean because apparently he was 'whipped' or whatever the hell that meant.

"You guys know each other?"

April turned to Randy and smiled, "What gave it away, the bear hug?"

Randy snorted as Dean laughed his ass off and picked on Randy. Both men oblivious to the silent conversation April and Seth were having as April clarified who was the one that brought Seth over. Her eyes widened a bit and she smiled at Seth giving him a subtle nod before she kissed Dean's jaw and whispered against his ear, "You can keep teasin your bros or you can keep me company on the dance floor. Your choice." She slid out of his grip and walked over to the dance floor with her drink in hand.

More hollering and teasing erupted in the group when Dean stopped mid-conversation with Randy and followed April like a damn puppy. This time, Seth joined in because he liked April and seeing how she had that effect on one of the team members made him smile. He even smiled when Randy tsked at him for joining in, shrugging a bit because it all felt surreal that Seth Rollins was in this environment and having a good time.

Minutes ticked by, mindless chatter and more teasing happened yet John didn't get to meet Seth one-on-one so he decided to walk over and introduce himself. He let Cody finish his interrogation before tapping Seth on the arm and giving the two-toned male his dimpled smile. "Seth, right? I'm John… the other captain of the team, not that anyone remembers with _this_ superstar on board." He nodded at Randy.

Randy rolled his eyes, deciding to stay quiet for the time being as Seth and John got acquainted. He heard some talk about classes and sports and then the mention of AP Calc and Randy looked over at John cautiously.

"Oh.. you're the person he's been tutoring." It all made sense. John looked at Randy and grinned, shaking his head at him and opening his mouth to talk to Seth again. "Ya kno-.."

Randy wrapped his hand around Seth's wrist, tugging him a bit "Wanna get more drinks?"

Seth, looked at Randy, smiling wide and giving a slight nod. "We'll be back. Nice meeting you guys." He had to fight back the urge to fidget and bite his lip when the crowd waved at them and murmured their own responses. The swimmer started heading towards the drink table with Randy next to him, feeling rather happy with the way they all seemed to at least like Seth.

…

John looked to his left when a large hand rested on his shoulder.

"What's up, cap?"

He nodded towards Randy and Seth, "That the guy you were talkin' about wanting to sleep with?"

Roman looked and chuckled, "Yeah. Now you see why I didn't?"

"Mm.. Turn you down?"

"..he didn't have to. I caught it before I even asked. Let Randy know about it too.."

John nodded, "He alright?"

"He's a decent person."

John gave one more nod, looking at Roman and deciding they'd drop the conversation for now as they both joined in on the conversation in the group.

…

"Just one."

"I can't."

"Yes you can."

He muttered, flushing a bit as he drank the rest of the beer "No. I mean I don't know how."

Randy rolled his eyes, "You literally sway and bounce to the beat."

"I won't be good."

"..no one here is good at it, Seth. C'mon. Just one then we can do whatever the hell you want."

He bit his lip, tucking his arms against his sides again and staring at Randy. Then Randy offered Seth his hand and Seth flushed as he stared at it then looked around. A few people had noticed but he wasn't worried about that because the rest of Randy's group of friends was now staring after Dean got payback for the teasing by hollering at Randy. He swallowed and stared at the hand, "R.."

"One, Seth. _Please_."

He exhaled, taking the captain's hand and faintly hearing clapping but the tech music drowned most of it out. Seth let Randy lead them towards the middle of the large living room area, that familiar flutter returning as they stopped. Thankfully the music was nothing but beat and it was rather easy to find the rhythm. Soon Seth and Randy were jumping a bit to the beat and just swaying together. He could feel Randy move closer but he didn't make a move to do the same mostly because he could feel the eyes on them. Seth bit his lip when Randy's hand landed on his waist, faltering a bit but quickly getting back into it. He heard the beat change all of a sudden and knew they were at a different song. The Iowan stopped but quickly found the rhythm again and started jumping with Randy, their bodies dangerously close but not quite touching anywhere besides where Randy held Seth.

"Song's over."

Seth flushed, biting his lip and looking down "I know. It's okay." When he looked up to meet Randy's gaze he inhaled sharply as he noticed how close Randy was getting to his face. He leaned up slightly, hand trembling as it rested on Randy's shoulder. Then –

"THIS SONG IS FOR MY BEST FRIEND AND THE DAMN BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM! ENJOY YOUR NIGHT, KEITH." John switched the track, knowing damn well how Randy felt about _Wonderwall_ playing and this was sort of John's payback for Randy trying to avoid Seth and him meeting.

Randy looked over to the slightly raised stage, glaring at John because they were so fucking close then _Wonderwall_ started playing and Randy tensed up, face flushing imperceptibly thanks to the flashing lights. "We don't ha—.."

"It's fine." Seth bit his lip, hand relaxing on Randy's shoulder before the other arm draped over the other shoulder. He felt Randy pull him close and just like that he was hopeless. This song was perhaps the only song that could have made Seth fall deeper into the pit and all because he'd accidently seen Randy's arms at the beach that night. He felt Randy hesitate the first time _'maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me'_ played and Seth rested his head on Randy's chest, swaying with him slowly because he needed to offer this man comfort of some sort and right now this was the only way he could do it in such a public setting.

Arm wrapped around Seth's torso, hand clutching at the male's back. He never danced this song. Never. Mostly because he didn't believe in that whole saving bullshit but also because it felt too personal, too raw. John knew that. But right now, Randy couldn't even think about being upset with his best friend because he had Seth in his arms and the male didn't seem freaked out by this whole thing. Then he felt Seth's hand drop from Randy's shoulder and lightly trace over Randy's left arm. He knew what Seth was doing and Randy let out a shaky breath, drawing his arm away from the touch and shaking his head. He heard the Iowan apologize but that only made Randy want this more.

The song ended and Randy and him were still swaying, Randy's nails digging into Seth's back and Seth's hand wrapped around Randy's bicep. Seth breathed out a bit and Randy pulled away abruptly. The football player rushed out of the house and started walking towards the beach. More specifically, Randy started heading to that private place because he needed time to think and to pull himself together emotionally again. He could hear Seth stumbling after him and he bit his lip, slowing down for the man and feeling that sharp tug to his arm.

"Randy!.. If you're gonna leave me here at least let me know!"

He looked at the Iowan as his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm sorry if I .. crossed a line, okay? I just like you, the thing I saw at the beach.. that doesn't change anything."

Randy inhaled, pulling Seth close and kissing him hard. He could feel his emotions getting the better of him and shut his eyes tightly, tears threatening to spill. The smaller teen kissed back but Seth was calm about it, slowing down the kiss and bringing Randy back down to an emotionally level state. He let out a loud sob-like sigh, "S-sorry."

Seth shook his head, taking Randy's hand and leading the larger teen towards the little alcove much like Randy had eased Seth onto the dancefloor moments ago.

There was silence between them, nothing but the soothing crash of the waves and the steady breathing sounding around them. Randy focused on his steps, kicking off his shoes at some point when they were close enough to the water and feeling too open right now. "Seth.."

"I know. We don't have to talk about it. Not now, not ever if you don't want to.. Just.. let me _try_?"

He stopped right in front of the chair-like rock, staring at Seth and fidgeting as he replied "They're gonna pressure you to talk. I don't talk to them about this shit… not anymore."

"I don't care."

"…Seth.."

"_Please_."

Randy gave a slight smile, looking down at his bare feet and nodding as he took a seat next to Seth on the rock, placing his hand over the smaller teen's and just staring out at the crashing waves.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Review?


	9. Finding my way

_**A/N:**_ Well, muse for this story is coming back strong. Have another chapter and thank my lovely fiancée for this quick update.

**Fantooome**: Thank you!

**CptCrossFitJesus**: Thanks!

**TakersDarkLover**: Thank you so much for the continued support and I hope you keep liking it!

**AnetteBP**: I LOVE YOU!

…

**TriggerWarnings:** _mentions of child [emotional] neglect_

* * *

...

Seth sighed, looking up to the ceiling and loving that his mind was peacefully blank at the moment. Nothing was going through his head as his fingers moved over Randy's growing hair. The teen had just enough for Seth to tangle his fingers through and then give a slight tug. So he did. He grinned when Randy grumbled in his sleep, leaning over to place a light kiss on the male's forehead. That made Randy's eyes flutter open and Seth grinned. "Morning."

"Shit."

"Yeah.. a few hours. Don't worry about it. I slept too. Just woke up a few minutes ago."

"Time is it?"

"Six."

Randy sat up, cursing and rubbing his eyes. "I'm fucked."

"Not yet."

He laughed and swatted Seth playfully, "Shut up."

"No.. not what I meant.. _although_, now that you mention it.." he teased, grinning at his friend but not officially boyfriend yet. "I used your phone to text Nate, let him know you'd be spending the night since you always have extra clothes in your car anyway."

Randy smiled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and stretching. "Life saver."

Seth couldn't even get over how cute Randy was when he was half asleep. The two-toned male ran his fingers through Randy's hair again, "You're the one that stayed up all night to help me study for this test."

"I know.. it's getting long again." He murmured, thinking of cutting his hair because he knew Elaine would give him hell for it if it got even two inches long.

"I like it."

Randy smiled at the smaller man, unsure why they haven't done anything after Friday night or why they haven't even talked about it. But Randy had a feeling it was because he wasn't ready to open up completely to someone. Hell, John knew him his whole life and even he didn't know the full story.

"Randy?"

He looked at Seth and smiled, patting his shoulder in that way he did when he wanted a kiss but wouldn't ask for it. Seth leaned in immediately and Randy relaxed, kissing back slowly before chuckling and pulling away. "Mornin' breath.. gross. I'm gonna get ready."

"School isn't for another two and a half hours."

Randy lifted a brow as he looked at Seth, "You promised me breakfast, Rollins. I didn't slave over Calculus for you to not give me eggs and pancakes."

Seth snorted, rolling his eyes and nodding "I'll get on it.. I needa get ready too though."

Randy looked at Seth and nodded, "Let me just brush my teeth and I'll change out here. I showered before comin over last night anyway."

He smiled softly, "Sure. Thanks again.. you sure you'll be okay for the game later?" he felt bad. Randy had stayed up all night studying and the man had a qualifying game after school.

Randy nodded, stretching his arms over his head and yawning quietly. His shirt revealed the first few inches of his stomach and he pulled it down as he locked gazes with Seth, "I've gone into a game with much less than four hours of sleep the night before. I'll be fine." He leaned over and kissed Seth's lips quickly before getting his bag and looking for his toothbrush.

Seth blinked in surprise at the kiss but didn't say anything. The Iowan got up after Randy left to the bathroom, choosing his clothes. He really just grabbed the tightest pair of jeans he could find and a slim fit tee with AvengedSevenfold lyrics written across the chest area. He had gained considerable muscle weight in the past month of swimming training and weight room and he was pretty damn proud of it. He heard Randy come out of the bathroom so he took his clothes and went straight into the bathroom, giving a quick nod at the football captain before shutting the door and setting the water.

Randy picked up his phone, smiling when he saw Nate's reply to Seth's message. { ohhhhh ;) I get it. I'll make sure to tell dad if he shows up. ;) stay safe! } his little brother had higher expectations of Randy than Randy thought. He was sure the imaginary versions of Seth and Randy did more in Nate's mind than they've done in real life. The brunette chuckled and shook his head as he undressed and changed into his usual wear. The thin, long-sleeve shirt had gray swirls on it and his jeans were dark blue today but other than that, it was the same thing he usually wore. Randy buttoned up all but the last button and stretched, looking at himself in the mirror and frowning as he noticed his hair was just long enough to fall on his forehead but not cover much of his face. "We _needa_ get you cut." He messed with his hair a bit, completely missing when Seth came into the room minutes later.

Seth chuckled at the sight of Randy fighting with his hair, shaking his head and pulling his shirt the rest of the way down as one hand fiercely towel-dried his long hair. He walked over and picked up his brush, moving Randy's hand away and brushing the hair down enough to tame it before putting some mousse onto the palm of his hand. Nimble fingers worked through Randy's slightly long hair until most strands had enough mousse in them to keep them calm until the game. "There."

Randy grumbled, eyes flicking from Seth's arms to the male's face. "Thanks." He sat on the bed, putting his shoes on quickly then packing all their school things into the respective bags since half were still strewn across the bed as the other half was scattered on the floor.

Seth nodded and got to work on his own hair, brushing out the worst of the knots and humming to himself. He forgot what song he'd even been humming before Randy started singing the words. He looked at Randy, blushing slightly but keeping the melody going as they both finished getting ready.

No sooner had Seth put his hair up in the bun than Randy called out, "BREAKFAST!"

Seth chuckled, "Shut up. I'll get your breakfast."

Randy didn't admit it to Seth but it'd been a long time since he'd had anyone make him breakfast and that was why he was this excited. As soon as they opened the door out of Seth's room, the smell of bacon assaulted their senses and Randy groaned softly.

"Gonna make me jealous if you keep that up."

Randy's cheeks heated up slightly. He wasn't sure at what point Seth became the bold and teasing one but he had a feeling it was around three days after the game when Randy admitted he was hesitant. "Well you'd get me to moan like that if you cooked me breakfast." He teased right back.

Seth scoffed, "Hey! I promised you breakfast, never said I would be the one to cook it." That's when they walked into the kitchen and Seth gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Morning, ma."

Randy smiled at his friend's mother, "Morning, ma'am."

"Call me mom, sweetie. Anything but ma'am."

He nodded, blushing a bit as he sat at the table next to Seth.

"So.. how long have you two been dating?"

Seth almost spat out his juice, coughing a bit and staring at his mom. "What?!"

"Come on, Seth.."

Randy fidgeted a little, "I.. uh, no disrespect, Ms. Rollins but, we.. uh, we are not dating."

"Huh.. Why not?"

Seth felt his cheeks heat up as he looked at his mom then at Randy. He groaned loudly, hiding his face in his hands. He could hear Randy laughing and muttered to the male under his breath.

Randy cleared his throat after laughing at Seth, "Because.." he looked at the two-toned male and shrugged, exhaling slowly "I.. dunno. Guess we have other things on our minds?"

"Well Seth has definitely had something on his mind since the night he walked to the beach.. I have a feeling that isn't Calculus."

"MOM!"

She put her hands up, setting down the pan full of scrambled eggs next to the plate stacked with hotcakes and on the other side of the bacon pan. The toast was brought to the table next along with everything else she'd forgotten to place there. The woman walked over and placed a kiss on the top of Seth's head, "Enjoy breakfast. I am just going to make some coffee then I'll join in."

Randy looked at the two-toned male, something close to awe in his eyes as he watched the interaction between the two. That was why Seth was so open to the more affectionate things, why all Randy could really initiate was physical-based need whereas he depended on Seth to know when to be affectionate. He smiled, looking at Seth once the woman left. The look on Seth's face let Randy know Seth was embarrassed but Randy just smiled, "I like her."

"Because she picked on me."

"That was just a bonus. She's nice."

Seth chuckled, muttering an obscenity at Randy only to get screamed at by his mother who he forgot was standing a few feet away. "Sorry."

Randy grinned, "Mhm." He teased before grabbing a plate and topping it with just about everything he could fit on it, not counting the toast because he had that in his hand and was buttering it as he looked at Seth. "You feelin ready for this test?"

Seth nodded, "Yeah. I'm going to ask him to grade mine first.. just so I can start making up the old one sooner."

Randy smiled, tucking into his food and groaning happily the further he got into the meal. He blushed when he noticed Ms. Rollins looking at him, swallowing the food that was in his mouth. "Sorry."

"No. I'm glad you like it."

"It's great. Haven't had breakfast like this in a really long time."

Seth didn't miss the look his mom sent his way and he just shook his head, signaling for her to drop it. Thankfully, the woman did and the rest of breakfast went by rather quickly. His mom asked Randy about his team and school work and Randy seemed to pass whatever test the woman had set up for him because at the end of breakfast, she told him to feel free to come over whenever he wanted to.

Randy smiled politely, thanking the woman and waiting for Seth and Ms. Rollins to finish their meals. He looked at the large amount of leftovers and frowned but that's when Seth's cousin stumbled down the stairs with his mom rushing him. He smiled at both of them and introduced himself. As the pair settled down to eat, Ms. Rollins stood up to clear the table and Randy got up too, shaking his head. "You cooked us breakfast, ma.. Ms. Rollins. Is it okay if I clean up?"

Seth grinned, looking at Randy with a soft gaze before gently taking the plate from his mom and kissing her cheek again. "Go relax before work. We got this."

…

He grinned as they walked out of Calculus together, "You finished with like 10 minutes to spare."

Seth blushed, nodding as he shoved his hair out of his face, "Yeah."

Randy patted his friend on the back "Let me know how it goes after school."

"Uh?... Are we.. I thought we didn't study on game days?"

"Oh. We don't. I .. was hopin you'd come by? Varsity starts at seven." He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning in frustration when he felt the soft strands of hair. Randy pushed his hair back down and waited for Seth.

"S-sure. I'll just go after practice." The smile he got from Randy in return made him smile just as wide. Seth nodded, looking at the bigger male "I'll see you later."

…

Seth fidgeted in his seat, looking out at the game though he had no idea what was going on. He knew it wasn't good because they were at the last half of the fourth quarter and their half of the bleachers was mumbling in disappointment and even the band was pretty dead. The swimmer looked at AJ and frowned a bit "How bad?" Just then the whistle blew and the team huddled.

"…Coach Calaway never calls time… it's bad."

He nodded, looking at the scoreboard and seeing that they were 12 points behind and from what he heard people saying, the other team was close to scoring another touchdown. Seth frowned and looked over at Randy. The teen looked pretty beat up, he'd been targeted throughout the entire game and he'd only scored one touchdown this time because it seemed the other team knew he was involved in most of Coach Calaway's plans. Seth sighed and watched helplessly as the team started heading back to the field. He called out for Randy and waved at him quickly just to try and give him more amped up.. and possibly because he felt terrible for keeping the teen up half the night.

April started cheering a few minutes later, half the stands joining in with her because there was a spark of hope for SBSH after the touchdown Roman made. Coach had made the executive decision to make Roman the quarterback again, pushing Randy to the side and leaving him out of just about every play. The co-captain didn't look very happy about that but at least now he wasn't on the floor all the time. She cheered when Dean lined up for the kick, hoping that the blond would get them that much closer but when the whistle blew Dean missed by a few inches only turning over the play to the opposing team. AJ sat back down, back to tugging at her hair and bouncing her leg in that way she did when she was extremely focused or extremely nervous.

Seth looked at the clock, two minutes left of play and the ball was mid-field. Even he knew this was pretty much it. He noticed about one third of the crowd left because they didn't want to see the ultimate disappointment of SBSH coming so close to nationals only to lose it by 6 points. The whistle blew again and Seth found himself mirroring AJ's actions, at the edge of his seat as he winced every time one of their players was tackled down or shoved over. The next set of moves threw him for a loop because John came out of nowhere and took over the play from Roman, leaving the man surrounded but Roman stood up right after he was tackled down. If Seth hadn't been paying as much attention as he was, he would have missed the slight nod the male gave. Seth missed who it was for but the game continued. Last 40 seconds of play, John was surrounded and Roman was in the safe zone but instead of John doing the obvious, he sent it towards the side to Randy who caught it flawlessly and charged into the safe zone. The crowd inhaled sharply as a hoard of teens charged towards Randy ready to tackle the male down. They took him down but Randy dove and managed to keep the ball in hand, the leather barely making it past the white line. It wasn't until the ref signaled for the six points to be added to the board that the crowd even realized Randy had scored. Cheering erupted again and Seth looked at the clock, - five seconds – he turned to AJ. "That's it right, they qualify?"

"N..no." she'd gotten even more nervous now and grabbed Seth's hand to steady herself. "D..Dean has to score the kick to win. Another tie would mean they'd bring it down to points and.. Oakland's team just had better games this season."

Seth cursed and squeezed the Puerto Rican's hand back, wincing when the whistle blew and closing his eyes. Next thing he knew he was being shoved wildly and his eardrums were almost blown out as the band erupted with the alma mater. He laughed, screaming with AJ and following her down to the field where the game just ended and the team was celebrating.

By the time the whistle blew to call the game, Randy was already crying because Dean had just scored the point. He screamed loudly and fell to his knees, feeling a few of his teammates hugging him and just doing the same because he couldn't believe they'd just qualified for national's using the game plan he came up with. Dean was being carted away and Randy was shaking with Cody and John and Roman huddled around him. He smiled, "Sh-shit.. guys, Calaway owes us a t-trip to Disneyland." Randy had to laugh it off because if he actually talked about it right now he would lose his voice and break down completely. The guys started laughing though and Randy was grateful.

Seth ran up to the group of guys that'd been holding Dean and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the way one clear of AJ's throat got half the team to put Dean down as if they'd done something wrong. He turned away after that, looking for Randy and barely seeing him past Roman's helmet hair. The Iowan walked over and sat next to Randy, resting a hand on the male's padded shoulder. He wasn't even there for two minutes before John and Cody stood up, using some lame excuse to leave them alone and Roman following after them. He helped Randy out of the helmet, seeing that the male had been crying and wrapping his arms around the football player. "Congrats."

Randy buried his face in Seth's slightly damp hair, letting out a sob-like laugh as he squeezed him close. "Thanks for comin."

His skin prickled with goosebumps, heat rushing to his cheeks as he nodded and rested his hand on the back of Randy's sweaty hair. "Thanks for asking me to." He soothed his hand through Randy's hair until the male calmed down. Seth wasn't sure when that was but when they were getting off the cold grass, they were the last ones on the field except for the team that was cleaning up afterwards. He didn't say much to Randy because he knew how much this meant to the man and the teen was still semi-guarded because they were at school. It was something Seth picked up on rather quickly so he let Randy stay silent. When they got to the locker room, Randy hesitated and Seth smiled at him before letting him go. "I'll get your things. If you want you can get cleaned up at my house and then join them when you're ready?"

Randy nodded, thanking Seth quietly and watching him leave. He knew that Seth got why Randy was this way but it didn't stop Randy from feeling bad about being so reserved with his emotions. When Seth came back, Randy took his things from him and looked to the scoreboard once again, smiling wide and shaking his head in disbelief. "Damn.."

Seth's hips bumped Randy's lightly before he hummed and adjusted his own bag on his shoulder, "Believe it. Nationals, you guys made it." He paused when Randy stayed quiet, walking with him towards the car and grinning after a bit "…damn, this probably means I'll have to find another Calc tutor, right?"

Randy let out a loud laugh, shaking his head and nudging Seth as he dug around his bag for his keys "In your dreams. I know you're sicka me but not going to get rid of me that easily." As they packed their things into the car, Randy grinned a bit and pulled off his gear as well as his long-sleeve warm-up before sliding on a clean hoodie. The male stayed back there for a bit as he removed the bottom portion of his uniform as well and slid on some sweats. Once they were settled in and heading to Seth's house, Randy looked at the teen "Speaking of Calc.. how'd it go?"

Seth fidgeted a bit, cheeks warming up again as he looked out the window "C plus."

Randy smiled, clapping the teen on the lap and squeezing slightly "Good job."

"It's a C.." he played it down though he was actually surprised when he got the test back from Mr. Michaels half way through the day.

"It's improvement. We ain't quittin until you're getting consecutive As."

He smiled, looking at Randy again and nodding. "So if a C is improvement.. the B I got on the retake? What is that?" Seth laughed when Randy slapped his thigh again and made a big deal about that for the rest of the ride home. He'd retaken the test during their lunch hour after begging Michaels between classes to let him retake it that same day. Of course, it was a new version of the test with different problems but Seth still kicked its ass.

They got to Seth's house and Randy reached for his bag as well as Seth's before wrapping the smaller teen in a tight hug "I fuckin knew you could do it. We still gotta whip your ass into shape though.. you'll have an A in that class before term ends."

Seth grinned, nudging Randy before unlocking his front door and telling Randy to keep quiet since he knew everyone was sleeping at this time. "I don't know about that."

Randy rolled his eyes and followed Seth to his room, setting his things down and taking his shoes off before lifting a brow at the teen. "You're getting an A. If I have to stay up every damn night before a test.. I will."

Seth smiled, shaking his head and tossing a clean towel to Randy "Clean up. You smell like hell."

"If you wanted to see me naked you shoulda just asked." He winked, catching the towel flawlessly heading into the shower.

Seth was caught off guard by Randy's comment so much that he didn't even know what to say. The teen hadn't made any comments like that at him since the night of the team's last party and it was sudden and overwhelming for Seth to hear it again in this setting.

Randy chuckled as he shut the bathroom door behind him and started up the water, ridding himself of his clothes and hopping into the shower. The last few hours had been stressful and painful but it was all worth it because he'd get more time away from the house and that also meant scouts would have their eyes on SBSH's team so colleges might start recruitments soon. He was so happy from the win that he'd even showed Seth extra affection in public despite the walls he usually had up. The teen cleaned up as fast as he could but then stayed under the hot stream of water until it started getting cold. Randy shut off the water and patted himself dry, having to spend extra time on his hair. He cursed when he remembered his clothes were in Seth's room. The football player wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out. He grinned when he saw the look on Seth's face and reached down for his bag, "Relax. I'm only givin you this half tonight. I forgot my clothes." He chuckled and went back into the bathroom where he pulled on basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Randy dropped himself on the bed next to Seth when he was done, sighing and stretching, "Thanks for letting me do this."

Seth hummed, "Don't worry about it."

He went through his messages, telling his friends where he was and then glancing back at Seth. "Mind if I stay here for a bit?"

"What about the party?"

A shrug, "…I'm not feelin up to that tonight. I just want to celebrate, without all the extra stuff."

"What stuff?"

"… the mask. I don't want any of that right now, 'ts why I wanna stay here."

He smiled, "Okay. Well, I don't have much to do but we can watch some movies?"

Randy nodded and asked Seth to put on a horror movie before sitting up with his back against the bedrest. "Th.."

"If you thank me again, I'm kicking your ass out of my house."

He grinned, reaching over and messing up Seth's hair "Got it."

Seth rolled his eyes then put on _Insidious_. "Play with your own hair. It's long enough now."

Randy grumbled, running his fingers through his hair "Not that long."

Seth reached over, slender fingers running through the sandy locks "Still like it."

He chuckled, "I get it, you want me to keep my hair like this. Don't worry, I'll keep it."

"I.. uh.. y-you don't have to keep it. I'm just sayin I like it." his cheeks were flushing again, eyes at the screen now so he could avoid Randy's stare.

"I want to.. I'll get used to the feeling; besides, I've been wantin to try it."

He nodded, going to his desk and grabbing the bag of chips as well as two cans of Pepsi and sitting next to Randy on the bed. "Cool." Cheeks were still a little red but Seth just sat as close to Randy as he dared then directed his attention to the snacks and the movie. He hummed after a while, looking at Randy "What comes next?"

Randy looked at Seth blankly, "Well.. you hand over that soda then press play?"

Seth gave Randy the soda then smacked the teen's arm "Don't be a smart ass."

"That's impossible."

Another glare towards Randy as he sighed and pressed play, "I meant what comes next for the football team."

Randy smiled, "More practice.. after the trip to Disneyland.. and then traveling to Nevada for the nationals tournament."

He nodded, moving closer to Randy because he decided that if this teen was going to be gone more often at school then he might as well get his Randy fix while he could.

Randy noticed the shift in Seth's posture as well as the reaction to his comment. He switched the can to the other hand before wrapping his arm around Seth's shoulder and pulling him in close. There was nothing that came to mind for him to say but Randy just wanted Seth to know he was here and they were both okay. He set the can of soda between his legs and grabbed some chips, watching the movie and smiling to himself when Seth shifted as well and the smaller teen's arm wrapped around Randy's waist.

Seth kissed Randy's shoulder then watched the movie, content to just take this one day at a time. It'd been working out for them so far, maybe it'd keep working out.

* * *

_**A/N**_: Review?


	10. All part of the battle

_**A/N:**_ So have another chapter! It is a bit of everything to be honest. Oh and my wonderful fiancée talked about getting some of Seth's backstory in here so I plan on making that a thing soon though I do give you a snippet of that in here. Hope you guys like it.

**Aestrix**: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy the development!

**TakersDarkLover**: Thanks again, bb. And yes, yes. This is rather slow but it gets there eventually.

**UnholyVengeance09**: They are! And she is a pain in my ass, honestly.

**SamoRolly**: Thanks! Hope you like this one.

**AnetteBP**: I might do that idea in here soon too, princess. ;)

**TriggerWarnings:** _mentions of self-harm, self-hate, anxiety, depression, mentions of Alcoholism, mentions of anorexia_

* * *

Seth kissed Randy's shoulder then watched the movie, content to just take this one day at a time. It'd been working out for them so far, maybe it'd keep working out.

Time flew by with them just talking about the movie and eating snacks while watching. Randy made fun of Seth every so often when the teen would jump or make a squeak-like noise but he really thought it was adorable. The football player found himself resting his head on Seth's at one point, eyes fluttering closed only to open every time the male was startled because of the movie. He felt Seth shift next to him and grumbled though he pulled away and looked at him, "What happened?"

Seth shrugged, looking at Randy and back to the screen "Your phone was ringing so I shut it up since you didn't even seem to notice." He gently rubbed along Randy's waist, fingers playing with the hem of the teen's shirt for a while before he gently caressed the bare skin. Seth felt Randy twitch suddenly and apologized, moving his hand back over the fabric.

"'m just ticklish." He explained, moving to kiss the smaller male this time. Randy kissed slowly, the way they did when one of them needed the comfort or when they just needed to feel each other. These kisses were rare and every single time they had one it'd been Seth initiating until right now. He felt Seth's hand dip under his shirt again and his breath hitched, shifting just to get closer. The kiss was getting deeper now and Randy could taste the sweetness from the Pepsi in the kiss but he only chuckled inwardly at it and placed a hand on the swimmer's thigh.

His entire body was aching now, that warmth consuming him and making him arch against Randy in a way that showed nothing but desperation. Seth hadn't done anything more than kiss another man before this but he wanted nothing more than to do so now. He grunted quietly when Randy's hand squeezed his upper thigh, having to break the kiss to take in a deep breath. "Randy.." he shifted slightly, cheeks flushing furiously as he saw the way Randy was looking at the slight tent in his sweats. Seth tried to move away from Randy's grasp but the teen placed a hand on Seth's chest and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I can stop."

No. Seth didn't want that. The teen shook his head very slowly, moving again but this time to get the snacks and drinks off the bed. When he settled back down Randy started rubbing at his inner thigh, painfully close to Seth's erection but not close enough. He made a small noise when Randy slid his hand inside Seth's sweats. The other teen took hold of his cock and made him bite his lip when the large hand started stroking him slowly. Seth was fully hard in no time, head resting back against the bedframe as small sighs and groans left his lips every time Randy squeezed just right or moved his fist fast enough. The coil at the pit of his stomach was winding tighter and tighter; Seth knew he'd be over the edge soon but he did nothing to warn Randy. He felt Randy shift but couldn't bring himself to look because he knew watching the football player do these erotic things would only make Seth come quicker. The fist sped up around his cock and Seth grabbed the sheets, teeth digging into his lip as he bucked against Randy's hand. He was close and was ready to beg Randy to tighten his fist a little more but then Randy's lips were on his neck and Seth breathed out a shaky moan, hips stuttering against Randy's fist. He drew in a breath, ready to moan out but Randy kissed his mouth then, effectively muffling Seth's noises of pleasure.

Randy grunted into the kiss, stroking Seth until the male complained into his mouth from the sensitivity. He pulled away altogether then, grinning a bit as he looked at Seth "I'll be back." Seth seemed far too out of it though so Randy left anyway, cleaning his hand up in the bathroom and biting his lip as he adjusted himself in his sweats before deciding he needed relief too. The football player quickly worked himself up, using just about everything he'd used on Seth and remembering the feel of the teen's cock in his hand. What really sent Randy over the edge in a matter of minutes was imagining the noises of pleasure Seth let out. He exhaled sharply when his own orgasm came over him, managing to catch most of it in his fist while the rest fell onto the shower floor. Randy bit his lip, moving to turn on the water and just sticking his hand in so that it could be rinsed off again.

When Randy joined him in the room again Seth was still blushing but he'd changed into a different set of sweats. He looked at Randy and smiled shyly "I could've helped."

Randy smirked and sat next to Seth again, kissing his jaw softly before just holding him the way he'd been before all of that. "You did help."

Seth only blushed harder, thinking about that only made his teenage hormones spike and he felt his mind getting carried away rather quickly so he just hid his face against Randy's shoulders. "Good. I'd be disappointed if I didn't." he was almost pouting but Randy didn't seem to mind. The other male pulled Seth closer and Seth just burrowed against Randy, his heart beating steadily as they both seemed to start ignoring the movie altogether and instead just got lost in each other's arms.

Randy smiled when Seth pulled away so he could put on the second _Insidious_ movie, watching the teen and yawning a bit as he laid down in Seth's bed. He was glad Seth had a lot of pillows because he'd just taken two so that he could still watch the TV.

Seth laughed when he started the next movie, bringing the TV remote with him and looking at Randy "You goin to bed?"

Randy shook his head and patted the bed next to him, "No. I just wanna talk for a bit but everything hurts." He chuckled, shifting a bit to make room for Seth when the other started climbing on the bed. "I keep thinkin that something bad is going to happen, y'know?"

"Yeah.. I feel that way when you're not around. Like it's too good to be real."

Randy frowned, laying on his side to look at the other teen and grabbing his hand for comfort as he nodded. "Like every time I'm happy for this long, something comes along and takes it away.."

"Is that why you're.."

Randy didn't even need Seth to finish that question, he knew. His stomach wrenched with anxiety as he just laid there in silence for a few minutes. Seth was staring at him and Randy was looking back just as intently but he couldn't bring himself to answer Seth directly because every time he said it that way it made him see the flaw in his own way of thinking and if anything scared Randy more than the darkness consuming him it was change. "I.. just don't want to fuck everything up. I get so used to that happening that I think it's bound to happen in every aspect of my life."

"You aren't a fuck up. I don't know why you think that, your grades are fla—"

"Grades aren't everything!" Randy released the male's hand, his eyes already swelling because this reminded him too much of a conversation he had with Elaine far too often. "I.. f-fuck up everywhere but grades and football. They're all I have.."

"I didn't mean they were everything. I just can't stand you calling yourself a fuck up when I see the exact opposite."

Randy's breath hitched, gaze shifting to Seth's eyes as he shook his head. "H-how can you say that when you.. kn-know." He felt Seth's fingers trace over his forearm and he flinched, eyes closing now as the tears started flowing freely. No one, not one person had touched them this way, seeking them out and being almost delicate about it. A small noise left him as he pulled his hand back and shook his head, "D-don't. I.. hate them."

Seth nodded, placing his hand on Randy's face instead "I know you do. And I'm just letting you know that just because I know about them doesn't mean I think any less of you. When I saw them.. I just wanted to get to know you more. I .. misjudged you before." Randy was still completely silent so Seth took a small breath and continued. "I thought you were .. just another jock, like the ones at my old school.. the ones that I spent my life hiding from – the ones that ended up setting me up for pranks or teasing me about being gay..

"They did that?"

Seth nodded slowly, "..why I was so against meeting too many of your friends." He admitted. When Randy just nodded, Seth took a small breath. "That isn't even the most fucked up thing I thought."

"What is?"

He messed with his hair and shrugged, "I heard about the school.. saw your friends, your car, your grades and I figured a guy like you.. couldn't have any real problem going on in his life.. I t.. thought your worst problems were what new phone your dad refused to buy you." He winced as he said it because it sounded cruel even to him but life hadn't taught him any differently until he met Randy and a few of his friends. Seth swallowed, "Seeing those just.. it made me realize you were more than just a pretty face.. and I felt like an ass for thinking any different. I just wanted, and still want to learn more about you."

Randy didn't flinch at the way Seth said he'd thought about him before, that was exactly the mask he'd created for himself so that no one would suspect he was a shattered soul and treat him like a basketcase. Randy Orton didn't need any more reasons to hate himself, and shame would only add to that. The football player did tense a bit when Seth said he wanted to learn more about him, "Why? So you could _fix_ me?"

Seth shook his head quickly, "So I could have someone in my life I could trust and they could trust me just as much. I wanted to learn about it because I knew you wouldn't make up stories about them.. because no one should feel as disgusting and empty as you do before a cut then as numb as you feel after." He fidgeted a bit, frowning as he reached for Randy. "I wanted to figure out the true reason why I believed in you so much from the first time we spoke.. why being around you made me feel comfortable in a way I rarely do."

The football player inhaled slowly again before squeezing Seth's hand back, "And.. have you found out why?" his voice was oddly quiet.

"…because you know what real, emotional pain is. Because you know how one little comment could make someone dwell in their darkest thoughts for weeks on end. But most of it is because you've committed yourself to making sure no one ever feels that way because of something _you_ said or did."

Randy's tears were for an entirely different reason now. He shifted closer to Seth and smiled softly, "I'm sorry.. I.. kn-know you wouldn't think of me the way others do.. I just.. I prepare for the worst."

Seth nodded, "I know. So do I. But.. it's going good right now, for both of us."

"Well." He corrected reflexively before blushing and chuckling softly as he saw the look on Seth's face "It is. Everything is good right now." Randy relaxed back on the pillows, looking at the TV. He felt Seth cuddle against him and soon the two-toned male's head was on his chest. The football player stroked through the soft strands as they both stared at the screen once again.

"Let's just think about that right now. And if anything goes wrong, we'll deal with it one day at a time."

Randy smiled, agreeing to that and then focusing on the movie again. They still had a lot more to talk about but Randy could only deal with so much emotional detoxing in one day. He sniffled a bit, hand moving through Seth's hair as they both decided to spend the rest of the movie critiquing the movie and finding plot holes because apparently that was something both men were big fans of.

Seth was more than happy to have his head on Randy's chest, hand resting on the teen's bicep as they watched the rest of that terrible movie and then just switched it over to cable because neither of them were feeling up to moving out of bed. Seth smirked a bit as he kissed Randy's chest after a few hours of their cuddling and laughing together. "You sleepin over again?"

Randy shook his head, leaning down to kiss Seth softly then tossing his head back onto the pillows "I can't. I need to check on Nate and he has a soccer game tomorrow morning I'm going to."

"…Mind if I tag along?"

Randy looked at Seth and smiled softly, "I'll ask him but, I'm pretty sure he won't mind. I'll text you before I sleep?"

Seth shifted off Randy because he knew that meant Randy was leaving soon, "Sure. If he wants some alone time with his big bro, I get it." He smiled at Randy and watched as the football player pulled on a hoodie then pulled on some sweats over his basketball shorts. Seth slid on some flip flops and followed Randy out of the room, smiling a bit as they got to the front door. "Get home safe. And thanks for hanging out."

Randy grinned, leaning over to kiss Seth's forehead. "I will. Thanks for putting up with me."

Seth shook his head and gave the other teen a hug, lingering for a bit longer than usual and sighing out "Randy.. are we dating?"

Randy squeezed the smaller boy harder and pulled away only slightly so he could look into Seth's eyes. "Well.. I want to be. And you've had your mind on me since that day at the beach.." he teased with the last part, grinning when Seth smacked him. Randy pecked the male again, "I have been thinkin of you too though." He admitted, pulling away from Seth and smiling softly as he opened the door. "If you want to be, you have my answer.. if not, we can keep taking it one day at a time?"

Seth smiled hopefully, nodding as he pecked Randy's lips "I want to be."

Randy nodded and waved at the man once more "So you're mine. And I'm yours.. and you're stuck with me more often now." he grinned as they gave each other one last kiss before Randy was forced to leave when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He huffed, "I'll text you."

…

"Randall.."

"I'm home. I know it's late but I usually get home later." He sighed as soon as his mother knocked on his door. The teen walked over and opened it anyway as he looked at her "Yes, Elaine?"

The woman narrowed her gaze slightly but kept holding Randy's gaze. "I heard about your victory. That's the best way to get noticed. I'm pr—"

"No you're not. You are proud of the reputation I built as your son.. what is this about?" He crossed his arms, looking at the woman.

"If grades slip, I'm still pulling you out. Nationals or not, doesn't make a difference to me. And Nate told me you were at a friend's studying last night.. who was it this time?"

Randy chuckled, rolling his eyes at the comment "I know. Academia before everything. … Seth. His name is Seth. And he's actually my boyfriend now."

"Randall.. your grades cannot slip."

"And they won't. I'll get Salutatorian for sure."

She made a face at the word because she'd prefer her son to get the first slot but so long as he got something good, the football should surely make up for it. Elaine nodded, turning away from Randy's door "Okay. I needed to get that cleared up before calling to give my consent for your next tournament."

Randy's jaw locked though he nodded, grateful that this went by rather harmlessly. He saw Nate's door move a bit and shook his head before lowering his voice, "Nate has a game tomorrow. Seth and I are going.. will you come?" that was an attempt to help Elaine rebuild bridges, and a hopeful request from an emotionally-deprived son.

"No. Your father isn't back yet and even if he comes before the game he won't get nearly enough rest to make it to the game."

He let out a breath, nodding and saying his goodbyes to the woman again before watching her leave. It baffled him how she didn't seem to even see the hurtfulness of her words or her actions. Randy waited for the door to shut before heading over to Nate's room and tapping it lightly before opening the door. Nate was standing right next to the door and Randy smiled sadly at him, "Mind roomin with me tonight?" The look on Nate's face made Randy smile, he messed up his brother's hair before they shut the door to Nate's room quietly and headed into Randy's room. "You excited for the game tomorrow?" He shut the lights off then jumped onto his bed.

"I'm nervous.. it's the last game in this tournament."

"I know. But just try your best. You guys are doing a lot better this year than last year."

"…Yeah."

Randy frowned a bit and grabbed his phone as he looked at Nate "...Seth wanted to know if he could come watch you play.."

Nate smiled, excited that he'd have more than Randy there cheering for him. "Uh huh. Only if he joins us for snacks later?"

Randy chuckled and gave a slight nod before sending a message to Seth then both of them got ready for bed. He was asleep rather quickly, just as soon as he heard Nate's breathing slow a little.

…

The weekend had been longer than usual, the extra day giving Elaine extra time to try and dictate their decisions. Fortunately, their father came home early Monday afternoon and stopped her mid-rant. She'd been suggesting that Nate pick up another sport because obviously soccer wasn't his strong suit.

Nate's team lost the game, disqualifying them from the next round of tournaments as well as placing them in third for the last tournament they were allowed into.

Bob looked at his wife, shaking his head "He enjoys it. Randy's team used to have difficulties too and now he's the co-captain of the first team from SBSH to make it to nationals."

Elaine crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on Nate before turning her attention to Randy and nodding. She wasn't pleased but she was smart enough not to say much more in front of Bob.

Randy tilted his head at the woman that had birthed him, feeling a very deep sorrow wash over him. "She knows I made it to nationals. She 'congratulated' me by knockin' on my door the night after the game and telling me she was still willing to pull me out if any of my grades even hinted at dropping."

"You wouldn't actually pull him out, would you? Football means a lot to him and he's got salutatorian pretty much guaranteed at this point."

She fought the urge to glare at Randy but answered Bob honestly, "I would pull him out. No sport is more important than his education and his place at the top of the class."

Bob sighed, "He's not being pulled out unless he manages to drop a full letter grade in half of his classes." The male looked at Randy then because he knew there was no way in hell Randy would let that happen to his grades. He smiled a bit at his son, "Besides, this way he'll get a better chance at bein' accepted to prestigious universities."

Randy smiled before wrapping an arm around Nate's shoulders and pulling him close as he spoke up again. "Thanks, dad. Oh.. and I have an idea for Nate's soccer skills. The off-season conditioning is goin' to start soon at the high school, I can ask the captain of the team if he has time for private practice or if Nate can join in with them? If he's up for it.."

Nate smiled, "Practicing at your school?! Yeah! That would be so awesome!"

Randy smiled and looked at both of his parents, seeing them consider it before both gave a slight nod. He clapped Nate's shoulder, "I'll ask around and let you know. If not, we'll find another way to help you keep warmed up for next season, okay?"

Elaine shook her head at the sight of Randy coddling Nate that way. She didn't like the fact that her youngest was being spoon-fed in a way the other two never were. Then again, she forgot that the other two didn't have an older brother looking out for them at the right time. The woman sighed, "Robert, we have a dinner date to get ready for later. You need to clean up and the boys should work on their studies or maybe their sports instead since they are so important."

Bob sighed, "Elaine… not tonight. If you want me to go to this dinner with your friends, I expect you not to be badmouthing our sons the entire way over there."

Randy frowned, knowing very well what this meant and covering Nate's ears before heading upstairs. It was rare their father got into an actual verbal argument with Elaine about anything but when it happened it was usually because of her lack of mothering. Tonight was no different. Randy could hear his dad's voice get louder as Elaine kept trying to brush off the argument and say that Bob just needed rest. She spat something rather nasty at their dad before Randy heard heavy footsteps and a slam of the den door. He only hoped Nate missed most of that.

They got to Randy's room and the football player sighed as he uncovered Nate's ears, "Get whatever you'll need.. I'm gonna drop you off at a friend's house."

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here. I might just hit the gym.. I need to calm down."

Nate bit his lip and nodded, rubbing his arm out of nervous habit "How bad was it this time?"

Randy didn't answer and instead shook his head before unpacking the bag he kept in his car since the stuff had been used. He busied himself restocking his overnight bag for terrible nights as he responded to his younger brother, "Just pack your bag, please, Nate. I don't want to talk about this right now."

"No one in this family wants to talk about anything until it is too late! This is why you hate yourself and why mom drinks her medication with alcohol and why Becky doesn't eat! No one wants to share ANYTHING!"

Randy could only stare at his younger brother in complete shock. The fact that Nate knew about all of their problems, including Becky's which Randy was completely blind to, left him speechless. The boy was wiser than Randy had already believed. He thought of something to say but by then Nate had stormed off and Randy heard rustling from his room. He could only hope the boy was getting his phone and money so he could drop Nate off at Ryan's or maybe Roddy's. The young adult sighed, fighting off the urge to cry as he finished repacking his things. He waited a few minutes before deciding to go check on Nate. Randy knocked on the boy's door quietly, "Ya ready, Nate?"

"I'm not going anywhere. They aren't who I need right now!"

Randy's eyes swelled with tears as he pressed his hand against the door, "I'm sorry, Nate. Just.. Please get your phone and your wallet. We can talk. Just not here." There was rustling behind the door before his little brother opened the door and Randy saw that Nate had been crying. He frowned, reaching out. _The one thing you tried to avoid is happening. Don't let it continue. Nate doesn't deserve to carry this burden. _He swallowed, "I'll fill up the tank with gas and we'll take a small trip. Lots of time to talk, that okay?"

Nate nodded hesitantly though he was still wiping tears off his face. He knew too many things for far too long and he seemed to be the only one in their family not willing to just ignore them. It was difficult but maybe this talk with Randy would help. "Have you asked?"

"I have a license and money. I'll let dad know. You don't have school work do you?"

"No."

"..then Ela—mom won't care."

He frowned, nodding again and shutting the door after he got his wallet and his phone along with a car charger. Nate heard Randy leave but it was okay because he needed to change since he was in sweats.

Randy walked downstairs, heart heavy when he heard the silence in the house. He knew that meant Elaine had left either to the patio or to the yard, either way she was drinking. The young adult sighed and kept his bag over his shoulder as he walked into the den. His dad was just sitting there reading through some old business books. The man got lost in his work when he was stressed or upset – Randy had to pick it up from someone. "Dad?"

Bob looked up, smiling at his son softly. It was a tired smile but a smile nonetheless. "Thank you for taking Nate upstairs. And I'm sorry about losing it."

"..you shouldn't be the one apologizing." He shook his head, "And.. Nate is kinda why I came in here. I'm gonna take him up to Gould Park to talk."

"About?"

"….he knows – a lot more than I thought he did. He's observant. Do you think you can.."

Bob only smiled sadly, "I'd love to come son.. but I just need some time to think about all of this. She was screaming at Nate.. practically telling him he had no potential." The male shook his head, rubbing his hand over his face before the worry lines returned to his face, "Things might change around here soon, Randall Keith. I'll be counting on you to at least clear some of this up with Nate. Make sure he still believes in himself."

Randy smiled, the weight of that task leaned heavily on his shoulders with everything else going on but he gave a slight nod "Yes, Sir."

"Don't call me that."

The man chuckled, leaning over to hug his dad because he could and Randy felt they both needed it at this moment. "Sorry, Pa. I'm gonna go now. I'll text you when we get there and when we start heading back too."

"Thank you, Son."

Another smile as he squeezed his dad then pulled away, "Love you."

"Love you too. Be careful."

Randy nodded, keeping most of the information he'd just gotten from his dad at the back of his mind for now because he couldn't even process that and he'd need all his mental resources to be able to have an in depth conversation with Nate. He grabbed his keys and screamed for Nate to hurry up. His younger brother ran down the stairs with his own overnight bag and Randy shook his head, "You're a pain in the ass."

"You taught me everything I know."

He laughed, messing up his brother's hair and heading to his car. Randy took his phone out once they were in the car and sent a message to his friends telling them he'd be off the grid for a few hours. Then he sent a special message to Seth letting him know he was spending a day with his brother and that they'd catch up afterwards.

"Stop sexting Seth and get to talking."

Randy rolled his eyes and smacked Nate on the head, "Shut the hell up. We don't sext."

"I know. You guys do the real thing though."

"…no."

"Wait.. you haven't?"

Randy shook his head.

"Why?! How long has it been? I mean you were crushing on him for a while, right?"

"We didn't come to talk about my sex life."

"Lack of."

Randy huffed, starting to drive them on the first stop on their trip "I taught you too well."

Nate smiled, glad Randy was still able to be relaxed for now because they'd have plenty to discuss after the car was filled with gas.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Review?


	11. When it rains --

_**A/N: **_This chapter is long overdue and I would just like to say that the reason it took me so long to post was because of two things. First, school and work are on full-blast again and the time management is becoming a problem. Second, I wasn't sure how quickly I wanted this to go and how much I wanted to skip around so I should warn you all that after this time skips will be coming around more often and I hope this chapter helps transition you guys into that. As always, thanks for the patience.

**TakersDarkLover:** They are! And I hope it does too.

**AnetteBP:** That wasn't even sex! It was a sloppy handjob, B) but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**SamoRolly:** The intimate moments will come.. just gotta wade through the angst first. :)

**BigSister2: **Thank you very much and yeah she's something.

**Casper97:** Thank you! I will. I'm not sure how long that will take but this is my favorite story so far and I plan on taking it all the way through.

**TriggerWarnings:** _depression, self-loathing, anxiety attack, mentions of bullying_

* * *

The tank was full, their car crammed with snacks as well as some packaged sandwiches and meal bars to help sate their athletic metabolisms so Nate and Randy headed over to Gould Park. Nate was quiet for the first few minutes, just singing along to the radio with his older brother as if nothing was wrong. Truthfully, he didn't want to talk about it but he'd been researching a lot about personalities and he guessed most of the things he said based off symptoms. There must have been some truth to that though because Randy had been silent; his older brother hadn't even denied that he hated himself. Nate chewed on his lower lip, fear coiling up because he wasn't prepared to deal with this. What child was?

Randy gleefully bellowed out the last line for the song they'd been singing before casting a quick glance at his little brother. The pubescent boy was singing still but this time with a faraway look on his face. The football player recognized it immediately. He had that look himself when he started seeing more than he was supposed to. The young adult swallowed and turned down the music so they could talk over it. "Where do you want to start?"

Nate looked at his lap, shoulders lifting slightly. "I dunno.."

He sighed, "Well I do. You know what mom told you was a lie, right? You have the skills and patience to become an amazing soccer player, Nate. Everything takes practice.. she just needs to.. remember that sometimes." Randy was trying extremely hard not to badmouth Elaine in front of Nate because his goal wasn't to get his little brother to hate their mom; it was to make him realize that the hurtful things that came out of her mouth weren't _his_ problem, they were Elaine's own demons that were now eating her alive.

"We did lose it for a dumb reason.."

"Even professionals make mistakes, Nate. This isn't about you. It's about her. Her head isn't in the right place anymore so she spews her own self-doubts on everyone around her so that the façade can stay in place in the neighborhood."

"But.. you have self-doubts. If it was really about that, wouldn't you tell me the same things?"

He winced at that, "…No."

"Wh—.."

"Because, NATE! I'm not that much of a fucking asshole!"

He looked out the window, pouting a bit to himself. Deep down Nate knew it was true but it didn't make sense to him. At this age he needed everything to be black and white; needed the universe to follow the same rules and when it didn't he couldn't grasp it.

"…I'm sorry."

Silence, Nate began chewing his lip again as he picked at his fingers.

Randy sighed, grasping the wheel tighter before breathing deeply a few times and releasing the hard plastic of the wheel. "What I meant was that everyone handles things in different ways. Mom drinks and turns that anger outwards.. I.. hide in schoolwork and music and.. turn everything inwards." Hearing himself say that made Randy tear up. It didn't make sense. It never made sense why he did this but he just _**couldn't**_ stop.

"H-how?"

"How what?"

Nate fidgeted, still staring out the window as he saw the suburbs turn into city land "How do you turn everything inwards?"

"I don't know. I just do. Why am I going to scream at my friends or you about how I think they're messing up if none of that is true and I really just think that about myself."

"You don't mess everything up…"

Randy ignored that, gripping the wheel again and focusing on the road again. It was starting to get blurry so he had to exert most of his cognitive resources to mapping out the road to the park.

"I messed this last game up.."

Randy exhaled, shaking his head and looking at Nate. He was pissed now. Pissed at Elaine for planting her seed of evil and self-doubt so deep inside this family that even the youngest was sure he was a failure. "You did not.. it takes a damn team to win games, Nate. Even if Pelé was on a team they would still lose if the team didn't _act_ like one. Everyone messes up. The loss was on **all** of you not _just_ you."

"Okay.."

He sighed again, "Don't just say that, Nate. You can't give up on yourself.. that's how we let this shit win.. know that you'll get out of this and at some point you'll realize mom is just screaming at nothing and at everything at the same time. But until then.. I'm here, I'll remind you."

"…and who reminds you?"

Randy felt his grip weaken on the steering wheel. It felt as if all the air had been kicked out of his lungs; heart began hammering now as his blood rushed to his head. His vision became blurred so he forced himself to pull over at the edge of a rather lonely suburb street.

"Ran-Ran?"

He inhaled sharply, fists clenching right after he put the car on park. His nails dug into his palms as he tried to get a hold of himself. He could hear Nate saying something but all he got out of it was a slight beeping. Randy rested his head on the steering wheel once he realized what was happening, ignoring the pounding in his head and the ice-cold numbness in his hands as he began breathing deeply. Minutes ticked by. He held his breath for three seconds then continued the same thing until the beeping got quieter and he could make out Nate's panicked voice. The youngest Orton had been shaking Randy's arm and Randy hadn't even noticed until now. He felt something wet and cold on his face and swiped at the chilled tears before looking up at Nate. "I'm sorry."

"What?!" Nate let himself cry then too, holding Randy tight and shaking his head as he bawled into his brother's arm. "I was so scared."

Randy sighed and petted through Nate's hair the way their father did to both of them when they were upset or when they needed comfort. "I'm sorry.." he repeated, hugging Nate tight.

"Stop… y-you need someone too, Randy. I have you.. but.. this.." he started crying again, unable to even formulate a coherent thought. Nate clung to Randy until the sobs died away. He held onto his older brother until Randy's breathing evened out enough for him to know that they were both better after that. The small boy dropped his hands and stared at his lap, "It doesn't make sense."

Randy nodded, cleaning up his face and reaching over to squeeze Nate's shoulder. "I know.."

"Why doesn't it make sense?"

"I don't know."

"Randy.."

"Yeah?"

"Nevermind.." he sighed, unwilling to admit that he just needed to hear his brother's voice as if just knowing he wasn't alone soothed him. Nate straightened up again and buckled his seatbelt before looking over at Randy, "Gould Park?"

He smiled softly. It was a small smile but it was a genuine one. Randy leaned over and kissed Nate's forehead, "Yeah.. Gould Park."

Nate smiled. He knew now that it was useless to ask his brother about his own resources for help because clearly it was off the table. That was okay for him though, they had more than enough to talk about.

The conversation about Elaine was shorter than Randy thought it would be; Nate didn't question why his older brother didn't like their mom. The one about Becky was much harder; Randy had to stop Nate every so often to fully understand what the youngest was saying. His world was changing. His little sister was crying for help too but no one was listening because she did the same thing as Elaine. Of course she did; she had to take after someone. He needed to do something about this but first he needed to nurse all of them back to health. They all needed an environment that was clean of toxins and the bile Elaine threw at them.

"Shit."

Nate stopped humming the song he'd been singing and rolled his eyes as he pointed to another parking spot, "Just take that one.."

Randy laughed, rolling his eyes at his little brother's blissful ignorance to all the shit going on in his head. He parked the car and messed up Nate's hair, "Get the stuff!"

…

Randy was more than happy to spend the entire time at the park playing around and hiking and kicking a ball around because it'd been too long since Nate and him had time to themselves. He never asked for it because the only times he was free were when Bob was out on trips. The football player laughed and jogged back to the car, looking back at Nate and screaming. "You gotta run quicker than that if ya think you're gonna practice with the high school team!"

By the time they started packing everything back into the car the sun was setting and Nate was already yawning. Randy smirked a bit as he decided to put everything away himself since he made the younger Orton unpack everything. He hummed quietly to himself as he did so, letting Nate enjoy the last few moments of fresh mountain air that he'd get for a while. When he was done he walked over to the boy and wrapped an arm around him. "Nate.."

"Mm?"

"I need to tell you something important before we head back.." he fidgeted and Nate looked at him, still happy but now a small shade of worry was clouding his gaze.

"What is it?"

Randy smiled softly and headbutted the boy gently before sighing, "—I promise this will get better. Not on its own but, we have to work for it.. I just need to know that you still believe in yourself."

Nate smiled, "I just whooped your ass with a ball.. I think I believe in myself enough."

The older Orton scoffed and punched Nate gently on the arm but accepted that cocky response as enough for right now. He smiled and watched the sunset with his brother.

"That it?"

Nate was perceptive. He knew when Randy was holding back and when the male was nervous and even right now that they were both running on sugar and junk food Nate was able to pick up on the subtle changes in Randy's posture. "No.. I need to prepare you for some change.. I'm not sure when or how but.. Dad said that .. stuff's gonna happen at the house."

Nate looked down at the ground, "Oh.." he knew what that meant. Randy wouldn't say it to him but Nate was smart beyond his years and he was well-aware that a custody battle would be in their future. The only thing he could say after that was, "—Beck.."

Randy nodded, frowning softly as he held his little brother closer. "We have to let her choose but.. I'm going to ask a few of my teachers for help, promise."

Nate looked at his older brother through wide eyes. He would never understand how Randy bared the weight of their lives alone. But he also knew better than to bring it up again so he just sighed and hugged Randy harder than he had before. "I love you."

Randy smiled and looked down at Nate, eyes swelling just a bit before he kissed the top of his brother's head. "Love you too, kid.." He felt Nate yawn against him and laughed. "Alright.. we gotta get back."

Nate grumbled but sleepily walked over to the car.

The football player glanced at his watch. They would just have enough time to make it before curfew. He smiled and picked up his phone to type out a quick text.

_[ To: Old Man ] Just letting you know we are heading back. _

_[ To: Old Man ] Should be back before curfew. Talk soon! _

He didn't wait for a response and instead started the car, needing to get them to the house as soon as possible. Randy glanced over to Nate after a few minutes on the road and smirked when he saw the boy sleeping against the window. He didn't blame him. He'd be exhausted too if he just got that much information thrown at him. Randy turned up the music, changing it to the newest _Fall Out Boy_ CD that Seth insisted he listen to. He found himself drumming his fingers along to the beat as he drove them back to the house.

…

Randy tapped his pencil on the desk, looking out the window and frowning to himself as he thought about everything he had to do and more importantly how that would change everything.

"_Señor__ Orton, ¿me __puede__decir__ que __es__ tan __interesante__afuera__?" _

Randy didn't miss a beat. He looked up at Señor Del Rio, "_Nada, __Señor_. – ah .. _tengo__ mucho __en__mía__mente__._"

He clicked his tongue and corrected the teen, _"__Mi__mente__.."_

Randy nodded his head and smiled softly at the man. He had a feeling that if he wasn't already the second best in that class Del Rio would have given him hell for zoning out during lecture. Still, he was forced to pay attention now and scribble notes on his notebook until the end of class.

When the final bell rang Randy wrote down the homework assignment and put his things away. He didn't notice Mr. Del Rio walking up to him when the rest of the students filed out. Randy jumped a bit when the man's voice rang out so close to him.

"Want to tell someone what is happenin'?"

Randy smiled but shook his head, "I.. uh, no. I just have a lot of assignments coming up."

"You never let work pile up on you.." he commented. He'd known this boy for four and a half years now and not once did Randy let himself slip.

Randy fidgeted, "I have to go.."

Mr. Del Rio nodded and smiled at Randy as he moved out of his way. "It's **okay** to ask for help when you need it."

Randy stared at his teacher in disbelief, shaking his head a bit and trying to play it off but he knew he couldn't lie to the man that'd known him throughout high school so instead he let out a defeated: "Thanks.."

"You don't have to ask _me_, or anyone here.. _pero_ if you want referrals.. _los tengo_."

Randy nodded again, "_Gracias_.." Mr. Del Rio didn't respond so Randy thanked him again and walked out of the room. He felt some relief from that brief conversation but a part of him didn't want to admit that he needed anyone's help with his emotions.

He was shaken up as he walked out to his car to leave his school stuff and pick up his practice gear. Randy pressed the alarm button on his remote once he got his things and hustled to the locker room.

Seth could see Randy was in a rush but their phone call last night hadn't been the best so he just needed to check in on the football player. He jogged over to him and nudged him softly, "Hey.. are we still on for after practice?" dumb question, he knew they were but he needed an excuse.

Randy turned and smiled softly at the two-toned male, "Hey. Y- -actually, no. Mind if we do that tomorrow instead?" He wasn't in the right mind to be giving anyone lessons no matter how well he understood the subject.

Seth frowned, making a move to grab Randy's hand like he usually did but he refrained himself when he remembered that they were in school. "Oh.. uh, that's okay.. but are you alright?" he leaned up just enough to make Randy meet his gaze.

The football player nodded slowly and took Seth's hands before realizing what he did. "Yeah. I just have too much to sort out and.." he blushed then, rubbing his thumbs over Seth's hands as if to calm himself down. Randy had to remember that Seth knew him in ways most people did not. "—I actually wanted to talk to you about some of the stuff that went on yesterday? My head isn't feelin' up to calc today." He smiled apologetically and leaned over to press their foreheads together. Randy normally wasn't one for PDA especially when it was intimate moments like these but something about Seth just made him seek out the male's touch and feed off that warmth the Iowan gave off. "I just need a break day and I'm sure you do too." He grinned at that last part, breath hitching when Seth laughed softly.

"No. That's okay. I was just making sure you were good because I know a lot happened last night." And by a lot he meant that Nate and Randy talked about family issues like Randy's self-hate and their mom's drinking and their sister's eating disorder. It was plenty to digest.

"I'm fine.." he tried, sighing a bit after that and shaking his head as he pressed a kiss to Seth's lips. It was barely a touch of skin but it filled him with heat and comfort and most of the good things Randy had not experienced in quite a while. "..I mean I will be okay. I'm hopin' practice lets me take out some of this restlessness. And.. I just need to be with you for a while. Just us."

Seth blinked back at the light press of lips, small smile on his face. He'd never get used to being able to kiss like this in school without worrying about getting gang-jumped on his way home. The Iowan could see the way Randy looked almost bashful at admitting that he just needed them to be alone and it only made him feel happier. This man was opening up to him. To the random little town boy from Iowa with the scars and the nightmares. Randy Orton was trusting Seth enough to get this close. His smile widened at that thought and he leaned the rest of the way to kiss Randy. His kiss was lingering but it was still slow, mostly showing Randy that he appreciated the honesty. "You need a break too, superstar. I'll see you after practice, okay?"

"Y-yeah. See ya, babe." Randy's cheeks warmed up when Seth gave him a look of disbelief mixed with joy at the pet name and he looked down to his shoes.

Seth chuckled and pulled his hands out of Randy's grip to wrap his arms around the man, "I'll see you." he whispered against Randy's chest before letting him go and running off to practice. The Iowan was pretty sure he'd just made both of them late to practice but it was worth it knowing that they'd just get to hang out afterwards.

Practice was uneventful after Coach Calaway made them speed up drills because nationals wouldn't be anything like what they were used to. Randy was grateful for the distraction from his thoughts and from the questions he was sure Cody and John had for him. They'd been giving him that 'I pity you but I'm trying to hide it look' all day and it was making him want to puke. Fortunately after the last set of drills and sprints he finished in second only to Cody so he was able to take a quick shower and change into a hoodie and jeans before rushing out to meet Seth.

Seth wasn't sure what he was expecting on their not official first date but he was rather sad that all he had in his locker was a loose band tee. He'd been wanting to show Randy how toned he was getting but now the only thing that was really accented was Seth's pert ass. The Iowan couldn't help but blush at the thought of Randy even noticing. He bit his lip and ducked his head as he walked towards Randy's car.

Randy could notice the blush on Seth's cheeks even though the teen was looking down and he was still a good distance away. It made him smile as he waited for Seth and slid his fingers through the belt loops on the male's jeans before pulling him close. "What's on your mind?" He wondered, leaning down to press a kiss on Seth's temple before letting the teen go because –well, both of them were still getting used to this kind of stuff.

"Uh –heh.."

He lifted a brow.

"Just.. kinda nervous about this?"

"The date?"

Seth's cheeks flushed deeply, "It is a date.."

"..don't sound so happy." He chuckled before helping Seth toss his bag in the back then opening the door for the teen.

"No! Oh my god—no! I am happy.. it is just.. I'm not really well-dressed."

Randy laughed, "Wow." He waited for Seth to sit down before leaning over the teen and grinning as he whispered, "—if it helps, I think you look sexy all the time. And right now? cute too.." he teased.

Seth was grateful that Randy didn't wait for an answer because all he could do was gape at the football player as Randy shut the door and buckled himself up. He'd barely managed to shut his mouth when Randy started the car and drove them to wherever they were going. Seth started biting his lip again before he felt Randy's hand rest on his thigh and he looked over at the teen. There was no way the swimmer would be able to stay nervous or shy after the warmth that filled him; Seth placed a hand over Randy's and watched him drive.

Randy didn't take long to get them to the ice cream shop, feeling his cheeks heat up the slightest amount when he could see Seth staring at him through his periphery. "I.. was hoping we could get ice cream or hot chocolate.. they sell that too –and pick up some fast food through the drive-thru then just.. enjoy it at the beach?"

Seth's smile only got wider the more Randy kept talking. He leaned over and hugged the teen before grinning "..and I'm the cute one." He pulled back and scanned Randy's face, just now noticing the way the football player's eyes looked tired. Randy still looked amazing. "If we can get chicken on the way over then it is perfect." He was aware that the weather was getting just a bit colder so he would probably get hot chocolate since they would be at the beach.

Randy of course agreed to that and waited for Seth to order before getting a hot chocolate as well. He paid for the drinks then they headed back out and Randy could see the slight hesitation in Seth's face. The football player frowned, "..what?"

"I.. just .. I—dunno. I'm not used to people spending money on me."

He blinked, "..and I'm not used to having anyone worth spending it on."

Seth held his cup between his hands, smiling despite the slight embarrassment in the situation. Leave it to Randy to make him feel like he was doing him a favor by spending his money.

When Seth didn't say anything Randy just nudged the male subtly, hoping to get at least a glance as they got to the car.

Seth grinned at Randy and just got comfortable as they made their way to the beach. They didn't talk much even when they stopped for chicken and fries but Seth liked the companionable silence filled only with soft rock.

Randy had sealed their bag and made sure it was as far back as it could be so they could enjoy their hot chocolate on the way to the beach. When they got to the reserved parking area Randy killed the engine and turned to face Seth. "Ready?"

Seth had a pretty decent view of the beach from where they were and though it didn't look too cold he knew better. He bit his lip and looked down at his cup "Y-yeah.."

"Why did that sound like a question?"

He laughed, "Uh because I know you're used to it but it's kinda cold out now and.. I'm dreading it."

Randy smirked and leaned over to pat the male's shoulder in a teasing manner, "You know I always come prepared." He slid out after that and opened up one of his overnight bags behind his seat before pulling out a thin, fleece blanket he'd planned on wrapping around them as well as taking out one of his hoodies for Seth. "This okay?"

Seth breathed out a sigh of relief. Instead of answering Randy he set the cup on the trunk of the car and pulled the hoodie over his head. He inhaled deeply after he did; he never noticed how unique Randy's clothes smelled. They smelled just like the football player did in the mornings. Seth could feel Randy's eyes on him so he cleared his throat and picked up the hot chocolate before taking the fast food bag out and smiling at Randy "Thank you."

Randy nodded and held the blanket in one hand and his hot chocolate in the other as they made their way over towards the far side of the beach and the alcove they met at.

Seth was quiet the first few minutes they sat on the rock, swinging his legs softly as he looked out to the rising tide. He sipped his hot chocolate and leaned close to Randy just close enough so their arms were pressed against each other. He knew Randy needed time to prepare his thoughts and that was okay for him. Seth was glad Randy even wanted to open up this soon after last night. The Iowan set his empty cup down and took Randy's hand in both of his, squeezing and relaxing his grip every so often as he looked out at the water. "I was scared last night.. when you called me?" Randy's body tensed slightly and Seth took one of his hands and began running it up Randy's covered arm. "—you sounded terrified and overwhelmed.. and I know what that can do. Then you told me your dad was in the house and I don't even know him but that made me relaxed. The way you said it –like you knew without a doubt how much love he has for you." Seth smiled and rested his head on Randy's shoulder. "..then I knew you'd be okay. I would have just gone over to your house to try and help but.. I'm not sure how that would go. Didn't want to make things worse for you."

Randy couldn't help but look over at Seth, watching the way his nose scrunched up as the worry showed through his voice. "I called you because I needed to calm down.. I remembered us saying we'd take it one day at a time and –that just calmed me down for some reason as soon as you picked up the phone."

"Good." He exhaled and huddled closer to Randy.

"The reason I was so tense wasn't even because of the conversation I had with Nate. Kid's smart and .. I shoulda never underestimated how perceptive he is." Seth's silence let Randy know it was okay to just keep rambling on to him. "—I mean the shit we talked about.. that was intense and I can't help but feel pressured to do something about it.. like it's my responsibility to take care of 'em." A pause as he moved to wrap an arm around Seth, "But before we went out.. something my dad told me just.. scares me."

When Randy was quiet for too long Seth rubbed his thigh softly, "..what did he say?"

"…that things are going to change around the house.."

"But why is that bad?"

Randy shook his head, "—he said it after he and Elaine had an argument.. She finally slipped in front of him and treated us like crap in front of Dad." He explained, biting his lip in that nervous habit he had as he began rubbing at his wrist. "The way he said it.. when he said it," he shook his head, "—it sounds like divorce is a likely possibility."

Seth must have been missing something because to him the idea of Elaine getting out of Randy's life seemed like a great first step in all their healing. Still, he didn't say anything and just squeezed Randy's thigh as he waited for the teen to continue.

"I mean I don't want her around.. she.. she hasn't been a mother in a long time." That hurt to admit. Hearing those words aloud only made Randy feel guilty as if judging his mother's parenting was something he had no right to do. The rubbing of his wrist got faster, eyes skimming over the rolling waves. "But I'm smart enough to know that chances are she'd win at least joint custody.. since dad works all the time.."

"Oh.."

He nodded, "I can't think of what she'd do to Nate or Becks if they ended up spending more time with her.." Randy stopped rubbing his wrist when he felt Seth's hand lay over his own. He smiled apologetically at the teen and instead went to rubbing Seth's side as he held him close. "I have to find a way to make sure my dad gets custody. I just.. don't have the extra time."

Seth turned slightly and kissed Randy's shoulder before whispering, "—we need to ask for help, Ran."

His gut churned then as he shook his head. "N-no.. I don't want to burden people with this, Seth.." he tried but by the look on Seth's face the Iowan wasn't having any of it. Randy dropped his gaze to his lap and nodded slowly before a long sigh left him. "No one else knows.. not everyone is as understanding and helpful as you."

The fear and dejection in Randy's voice made Seth's eyes tear up. The swimmer nodded and buried his head in Randy's neck as he tried to sort through his thoughts for anything that could be helpful.

"Sorry, baby. I know you want to help but.. I don't want to tell any of my friends about this.. John would freak and Cody would cry then look at me with pity and sadness. I ca-can't deal with that."

Seth nodded. He knew how that was. His move to Santa Barbara wasn't easy at all. His father threw a bunch of obstacles in their way but they made it out. He shuddered at the thought of having to stay with that man and in that bigoted community then he gasped as he turned to look at Randy. "I have an idea.. but.. you have to promise to hear me out. I know you want to shut down help but.. please, Randy.. I know how this is.. _please_."

They spent a few moments in silence and Randy thought about the worst case that Seth said then as Randy forced himself to meet Seth's gaze as he nodded slightly promising that he would at least listen.

"Just.. talk to my mom. I don't even have to be there if that makes it easier. – she's been here. She waited a bit to ask for help because of the fear but.. when she was able to get it, she made good friends and .. if anyone can walk you through it, it's her." Seth could feel Randy shying away from him so he put his hand on Randy's forearm and tugged him back. He couldn't force his boyfriend to take the advice but he knew his mom would be willing to help. Seth didn't know anyone more understanding and loving than his mother.

His mind was going a mile a minute; heart racing at the idea of sharing all this with his boyfriend's mom. What if she thought Randy was weak for crumbling under verbal abuse when her son faced the same abuse as well as physical abuse? He ducked his head, fists clenching as the familiar feeling filled him. His head was already starting to hurt but he could feel Seth's arms wrap around him as the teen tried calling to him. Randy voiced his concerns to his boyfriend and relaxed his hands when he felt Seth trying to soothe them. Seth assured him that wouldn't be the case but Randy was still hesitant. It was in his nature. The football player stopped protesting after a while and promised he would at least consider this an option.

Seth held both of Randy's hands in his own as he laid his head on the male's shoulder. He was well-aware that Randy would start intensive practice and travelling for games next week but that just made him cherish the times like this he did have with Randy all the more. The Iowan wasn't sure how much time passed before Randy made some snide comment about Seth's cold hands. He couldn't help but scoff and pull his hands back as a slight pout formed on his face. "I told you I'm not used to it." he huffed, earning a chuckle from Randy as the football player wrapped the blanket around them after moving so he was fully resting on the rock and left enough space between his legs for Seth to cuddle against. Seth flushed but assumed the position Randy silently asked him to. He told himself it was only for the warmth Randy could provide but he knew that was a lie. His cheeks heated up when the football player hugged his waist and began whispering things to express his gratitude. Seth smiled and assured Randy that there was no reason to thank him. He did this because Randy was important to him.

Randy nodded and lightly moved his hand over the male's covered stomach. He could feel every time Seth's breath hitched and that only made him smile. He'd talked to Seth about what was bothering him and now they were just sitting and talking about the excitement of the upcoming tournament. Randy teased Seth a few times since Seth complained about how swimming practice was making him get sick and the chlorine in the water was ruining his hair. The smaller teen pretended to pout but that lasted all of two seconds since Randy kissed the pouty lips back to normal.

At some point during Randy's teasing and Seth's ridiculous blushing they opened up the bag of food. Randy just picked at the fries and Seth ate most of the chicken as they talked about everything and nothing at the same time. He learned Randy had a maid/housekeeper and though he wasn't surprised it was still overwhelming to know someone that was actually that financially well-off. Seth told Randy about the few friends he'd made outside of swim team and Randy apparently used to talk to Punk but then he stopped taking art classes and .. high school came around and nothing much after that. He hummed, intrigued by the way time just did that to people and how life and interests got in the way of friendships.

By the time they collected their things Seth was yawning and Randy couldn't help but smile. He loved how the teen looked when he was tired. He tossed their trash then put his blanket back in the car before holding Seth's hand lightly as they stood next to Randy's car. "Thanks for tonight."

Seth rolled his eyes and pushed Randy against the car before pressing their lips together in a long but rather chaste kiss. "Thanks for telling me." He replied, resting their foreheads together before another yawn escaped him and Randy laughed at him for it. Seth huffed and tried to protest when Randy said he'd get him home quickly but he was too tired to pretend for long. Soon enough they were outside his house and Seth was fighting off sleep.

Randy leaned over and cupped the teen's face as he thanked him again. Seth rejected the thank you but he did steal a few kisses so Randy knew the swimmer was content with their first actual date. Randy was more than happy with it as well. He cut the engine and walked Seth to the door, smiling when they got to the little halo of light let off by the dim porchlight and he could see Seth's flushed cheeks. "I have late practice tomorrow but.. I can come over after and we can do tutoring here if you don't mind?"

"Oh.. I'll ask my aunt and mom.. but that should be okay."

Randy nodded and smiled before kissing Seth again but this time letting the kiss linger until Seth decided to deepen it. The taller teen grunted and rubbed up Seth's lean arms before breaking the kiss and smiling softly at Seth, "You need rest, remember? I'll see you tomorrow.. pick you up at the usual time?"

Seth smiled and nodded. He was slightly flustered but glad that Randy was nice enough to not comment on the clear arousal in his gaze. "Y-eah.."

He placed a kiss on Seth's cheek and thanked him again. This time, Seth accepted the gratitude and Randy gave his arm one last squeeze before leaving.

When Randy got home the living room lights were on and he frowned a bit in confusion as he unlocked the door and walked inside. He saw Bob scribbling down some information on a notepad and having a conversation over the phone in his 'business voice' so he just walked over and kissed his cheek to let him know he was home. It wasn't common for his father to be in the house for two nights in a row during the busy period of work but Randy tried not to think too much about it. He was glad that his father could be around to dispel the tension a bit. Just as he started up the stairs he heard his dad call him back and called out, "Yeah?"

"Come here, son. I need to tell you something."

He walked over, expecting to get scolded at for being home so late on a weekday and not having done his school work yet. Randy opened his mouth to apologize, "D-dad, sorry.. I just had a long day. I caught Seth up with some stuff and.. I promise I'll finish all my homework early enough."

Bob smiled and nodded, "I know you'll do your homework, Randy.. I needed to tell you something else."

Randy frowned at the sad smile and looked at his dad, waiting for the man to tell him what was going on.

"Your mother will be packing a few of her things tomorrow and.. she's going to spend some time at a hotel while we figure everything out. I'll be working out of my office so I'll be around but.. I'm going to need your help with.."

"—telling Nate?"

He nodded.

Randy looked at his hands, feeling them start to shake slightly. He knew this was coming but he didn't expect it to start going into motion so soon. Now he felt as if the earth had been pulled out from under him. The football player frowned. "Are you guys getting a divorce?"

Bob sighed, "Keith.. I don't want to talk about this until we have everything figured out. Maybe the few days will calm us both down and do all of us some good.. we don't know yet, son."

"Okay. I'll tell Nate.. what about Becks?"

"I already told her.. she seemed like she was expecting it."

Randy frowned, "So.. she won't be here tomorrow night?"

"Elaine? No.. this is my house and she tried getting me to leave but.. that wasn't going to happen." He shook his head before smiling sadly at his son. He shouldn't be pitting his son against his mother. "Sorry. And.. thank you for talking to Nate, Keith. He's lucky to have you around."

Randy looked down, smile gracing his face; he wasn't all too used to receiving compliments from a parent. He nodded before looking at Bob hopefully as he asked, "—since she won't be here tomorrow.. c-can Seth stay over? We can use the chalkboard in the second office to practice for calc."

Bob knew about Seth only because Nate mentioned breakfast with Randy's boyfriend on Saturday and he asked then found out that way. The man smiled sadly at his son only because he knew why Seth hadn't been over yet and he couldn't help but feel partially responsible for this house not feeling like a home to his children. Bob ran a hand over his face to try and get the thoughts out of his head, "Ask his parents.. if they are okay with him spending the night then it shouldn't be a problem. But you have to ask, got it?"

Randy smiled and nodded as he hugged his dad then kissed him goodnight and ran upstairs to shower before he began slaving over homework. He fell asleep that night with slightly hopeful thoughts and was glad to have a break from the constant worries. Randy was actually excited about having someone over his house for the first time since – well, ever.

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_**A/N:**_ Review?


	12. Relief Will Come

_**A/N:**_ This took forever as always but I made it semi-long or at least as long as the last chapter. Hope you guys like it and time skips began. Thanks for your continued support and love.

**Casper97**: Same tbh

**TakersDarkLover**: Yeah. He pretty much does. Poor soul.

**AnetteBP**: Baby steps, my love. ;)

**WWFteamxtreme3**: Here you are!

**BigSister2**: Some of these things get addressed here but I needed some good stuff before the bad.

**GingerFairy**: Thank you so much! And I love the way they interact as well. Glad you enjoy it!

**Caylender**: THANK YOU!

**TriggerWarnings:** _mentions of anorexia_

* * *

"I'm going to throw up."

Randy laughed and nudged Seth closer to the door. "No you aren't. It's just Dad, Nate, and Becks."

"You live here though.. I'm gonna make a fool of myself."

The football player rolled his eyes and stopped when they were right outside the Orton household. "Hey, we agreed that if you can meet my family then I can talk to your mom about all of this. I just need you to meet my dad." He'd thought long and hard about the conversation with Ms. Lopez that Seth had suggested but part of him was still skeptical. It wasn't until Mr. Del Rio talked to him after class again that he realized that it was best to get help as quickly as possible. These things took more time than Randy thought they would. He sighed a bit, getting lost in his own thoughts. Randy paid attention again when Seth pressed a thin hand over his chest. He smiled softly at the man, "Sorry.. still nervous about how that will play out."

Seth kissed Randy's cheek then took a deep breath before he looked at the door. Randy was about to tell Seth's mom the private things the Orton house held; the least Seth could do was have a quick conversation with Randy's dad and study at Randy's house. Seth was glad his mom let him come over because he'd always wondered what Randy's house looked like but he was also fairly intimidated by the lavishness of it all. Seth stepped through the doorway when Randy unlocked the front door, hugging his calculus book harder to his chest and waiting in the hallway as if expecting a bomb to go off.

Randy grinned and kissed the top of the two-toned male's head. "Relax, Rollins." Randy set his stuff down at the base of the stairs and hummed when Seth did the same. He kicked his shoes off and smiled at Jeanne. They'd barely had two conversations but that was more than what they'd had while Elaine was around. "Seth, this is Jeanne. She helps out around the house.. Jeanne, this is Seth. He's my boyfriend."

Seth shook the woman's hand and smiled politely before he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"—did I just hear the word boyfriend?"

Randy smiled wide and walked over to meet his dad. He gave the man a one-armed hug and grinned when he saw the look on Seth's face. "Dad, this is Seth. We're gonna work on some calc upstairs. I asked his mom and she was okay with it.. as long as we get to school on time tomorrow."

"Let her know that I agree with that." Bob took Seth's hand and smiled politely. He was tired and he was sure it showed in his face but it was nice meeting Randy's friends when he got the chance. They were good kids for the most part. "Is it true you moved here a few months ago?"

"Y..yes, Sir."

Bob laughed and Randy did too. "Bob.. or Robert if you feel the need." He grinned, "How are you liking it here so far, son?"

Seth smiled and shrugged before casting a glance at Randy "It's definitely different than Iowa.. but in a good way. Makin' friends and.. gettin' involved so I think I like it."

"Good.. well, I won't keep you two. Study hard and all that." He waved a hand, before looking at Seth again. "Make yourself at home, Seth. – Keith, offer your guest something to eat. You'd think that you'd be trying to make a good impression on your boyfriend, not starve him to death."

Randy huffed and his cheeks heated up as he stumbled for words to ask Seth if he was hungry. Fortunately, the shift of attention seemed to get Seth to calm down significantly so Randy would have to thank his old man later for that. He heard his father head back upstairs and turned to shove Seth playfully. "And you gave me hell for enjoying you getting your ass chewed off by your mom."

Seth rubbed his shoulder before grinning wide, "I like him." he repeated Randy's words to him when the football player had met Seth's mother. That earned another shove but Seth was too happy to care. Randy's dad seemed nice; nothing like what Randy described his mother to be. He had to wonder how they ended up together.

"Dinner will be ready in a little over an hour so don't fill up too much."

Randy smiled at Jeanne, "We're teenage boys, we always have room for food, Jeanne. But yeah, I think we'd be okay with just a sandwich for now?" he looked at Seth for confirmation before starting to make them simple ham, cheese, and lettuce for him and tomato for Seth sandwiches. He sat at the little island with Seth after getting them sodas and nudged him slightly. "Not too bad, right?"

Seth watched the woman cook. She looked happy and Seth wasn't sure why that surprised him as much as it did. He shook his head at Randy's question and ate his sandwich in silence as he watched the maid/housekeeper in fascination.

Randy looked at Jeanne once he realized what Seth was staring at. He hadn't seen the woman smile this much before. He couldn't help but think it had something to do with his mother no longer being around and drinking or scolding everything in sight. He frowned at that thought and finished off his soda before looking at Seth. "We set?"

No sooner had Randy asked that question than had Jeanne gathered up their plates. He lifted a hand to protest but the woman assured him that she had nothing else to do and they needed to study. Seth nodded, looking at Randy and biting his lip before finishing his own soda and putting it in the container under the sink like Randy did for the recyclables. "Lead the way, teach."

Randy grunted and waited until Jeanne was out of earshot before responding to Seth, "—you have a teacher/roleplay kink I should know about?"

Seth's cheeks flushed. He hadn't even thought about that as a possibility until then and now he couldn't even formulate words as he muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'fucking tease' to Randy as he followed him upstairs to what Seth could only assume was Randy's room. They rarely teased each other sexually mostly because they'd yet to do much outside of kissing and random groping and only once had that escalated to a handjob; but usually it was him who said things to Randy so having Randy do it first always caught him off guard. Seth set his bag down when they walked into the dimly lit office space and he blinked before looking at Randy. "Won't your dad be upset that we're usin' his office?"

"This is an extra one.. he had it made because he used to run a few things from here so when he needs help and brings over an aide they take this room." Randy shrugged and set his calculus book on the desk before taking out his notebook and pen. He flipped through the book until he found what chapter they were on and he walked over to the paneled wall, sliding it out of the way and uncovering the chalk board. He set up a few problems for Seth and hummed to himself as he did so.

Seth's mind was blown the more time he spent in the Orton household. There were things here that he'd only ever seen on TV or he was sure didn't exist and Randy wasn't even phased by any of it. He didn't blame the teen at all because Randy clearly knew what he had wasn't what most kids had but Seth couldn't help but just look around and admire the beauty of the home as he heard the chalk tap against the board.

They finished the 'lesson' Randy had planned for Seth since the Iowan had fallen behind again on the 3-D graphing and that was too important for Randy to let this happen. Just as Randy opened the textbook to look for some practice problems, Jeanne called them from the base of the stairs and Randy grinned at Seth. "You got lucky.. looks like Jeanne thinks it's time for a break."

"Are we finishing up later?"

Randy looked around the office and then back to Seth, "Did you understand the lesson?"

"Yeah.. I just need practice."

"Then I think we're done here. We can move our shit to my room after dinner." Randy didn't wait for a confirmation before he was cleaning off the board and covering it back up. He made sure to leave everything as it was because though he had a housekeeper it wasn't like him to treat people like scum just because it is their job to clean up after him.

Seth bit his lip as he looked out to the hallway, knowing that the Orton's ate dinner together and he would finally get to at least see Becky. "Babe?"

"Hm?"

"Does your sister know about us?"

Randy tilted his head at Seth and nodded, "I told her a week ago.. we don't talk very much but, I like keeping her updated."

"Good."

He wrapped an arm around Seth's waist and pulled him close as he led them downstairs again. "Are you still nervous? The hardest part was meeting my dad.. since I doubt you will want to or I will feel comfortable in you meeting Elaine."

Seth quickly placed a kiss on Randy's shoulder to comfort the male before they walked back down. Jeanne was still setting the table and Seth looked at Randy with a shy smile before pulling away and helping her finish up. They set up a miniature Thanksgiving buffet at the center of the table and Seth's mouth began to water. He looked to Randy, wondering if this was a normal occurance for them but the football player's eyes were wide.

"Jeanne.. you made our favorite." He commented, smiling wide. He knew they never got real Thanksgiving dinner and whenever he requested Jeanne make mashed potatoes or he tried making them himself Elaine would comment on how Thanksgiving meal was only to be had with the entire family. He looked at the woman and walked over to give her a tight hug.

"It was actually Mr. Orton's idea. I just prepared it."

Randy smiled wide and squeezed her again before getting the water and juice from the fridge. He went to the base of the stairs and screamed for his family to come down "Jeanne made us dinner and if y'all don't come down here soon the three of us will have eaten it all!"

Seth laughed when Nate arrived at the kitchen moments later panting for breath. He smiled at the youngest Orton then nodded at their father before a thin girl walked behind Bob and Seth stood up from his seat. "Hi.. I'm – .."

"Seth."

Seth exhaled, nodding as he extended his hand out to her and for a moment he feared the girl wouldn't shake it but then Becky stuck her hand out and pulled him in for a one-armed hug. He blinked in surprise upon hearing the girl welcome him.

Randy watched Seth once everyone was seated and smiled a bit as he silently asked Seth if everything was okay. They all helped themselves to the potatoes, turkey, gravy, stuffing, and biscuits as a comfortable chatter filled the dining room. Even Jeanne was talking about her childhood and how Thanksgiving was her favorite meal too because of the potatoes and gravy. Randy found himself wondering how he knew so little about the woman that had been working for the Orton household for a little over two years. The only thing that put him off over dinner was how little Becky was eating and how every time she reached for a biscuit she pretty much flinched away from them only to stare at her plate for a few seconds.

He'd reached under the table to rest a hand on Seth's thigh at some point, needing the comfort. Randy was grateful when he felt the Iowan's hand over his own and they continued their meal like nothing was amiss. When Becky stood up at the end of dinner Randy looked up at her, "Becks.."

"Yeah?"

"I love you." His sister seemed stunned to hear that and for a few seconds she just stared at Randy in disbelief and slight apprehension as if waiting for someone to scold Randy for saying that. Moments passed and no such thing happened so Becky finally smiled and gave a slight nod and muttered a 'me too.'

Nate had long since inhaled his food and dashed upstairs to finish a 'project' though Randy was certain the boy was not doing that at all. Now it was just Seth, Jeanne, Bob, and him finishing up and enjoying calm conversation. Randy had laced his fingers with Seth's at some point and his father had started asking them about how sports were going. Seth seemed to be okay with answering questions so Randy let him do it as he just started talking with Jeanne about her personal life because he could and she could always choose not to answer.

Seth smiled at Randy's father when the man thanked Jeanne and excused himself because he needed to finish up some work. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Orton."

"Bob, Seth. You can call me Bob or Robert if you feel the need."

Seth nodded and looked to Randy after they were alone with Jeanne, all of them had finished eating so he got up and started collecting plates. "Thank you for the meal. It was delicious."

"He's a keeper, Randy." She teased as she took the plates from Seth's hands and thanked him before shooing them away to they could go study again.

Randy thanked her as well then they were upstairs again and moving their things to Randy's room. He dropped onto his bed and groaned loudly, "I am so full but I swear I can eat another round."

Seth laughed and set his overnight bag down before getting his notebooks from his backpack and starting up some math problems while Randy was grunting on the bed. The smaller teen rolled his eyes when he got close to finishing his homework and Rand had yet to move. "Aren't you supposed to be helping me?" he scolded.

"I am providing you with emotional support, Sethie." He teased and turned on his back to watch the smaller teen. Seth was too focused on his assignment to even move so Randy decided he would just finish up his own homework starting with history and ending with the chemistry homework. Hours passed with little conversation between them except for a random question about homework until Randy finished his assignments and was left to just look at Seth. This was comfortable. Randy hadn't felt this happy being in silence with someone for years. He moved to where Seth was on the bed and sat behind him, legs on either side of the smaller male's body. Randy smiled when Seth looked at him and wrapped his arms around him "…will it bother you if I do this while you finish up?"

"I'm almost done. Just have to finish up the daily sketch for art."

Randy accepted that and placed his head on Seth's shoulder as he watched the teen scribble away. His hand was spread out over Seth's abs, eyes flicking over the curves and lines on the paper as he tried to figure out what Seth was sketching. He smiled when he realized it was the trophy Randy had on his desk signifying their qualification for nationals. Seth's fingers were surprisingly nimble and Randy found himself paying more attention to the way his boyfriend's hand twitched and moved effortlessly than he was to the drawing. It wasn't until Seth asked him what he thought that Randy looked at the paper again. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the background of the trophy as a pretty damn good representation of the school football field with one silhouette of a player on the field. "Damn.."

Seth bit his lip. "Is that good or bad?" He cuddled back against Randy and smiled to himself. They hadn't exactly cuddled or… whatever this was before but he liked it.

"It's – amazing. That didn't take you long at all!"

Seth laughed, "That is what a sketch is supposed to be."

"No but.. it is really good and detailed.."

The smaller teen blushed and shrugged, "Thank you.. I've been drawing since I was a kid. Music and art pretty much were my only escape."

Randy nodded and pulled away from Seth when the swimmer started to put his things away. "Yeah.. football and music were mine."

Seth hummed and yawned a bit as he leaned over the bed and kissed Randy's lips softly.

Randy quickly cupped Seth's face and held him still as he deepened the kiss just enough so Seth would make one of his cute noises of pleasure. He grinned against the soft lips and ran his fingers through the strands of hair that managed to fall out of Seth's ponytail. "Have I told you that you're cute?"

Seth blushed and tucked the hair behind his ear. "Maybe."

He chuckled and caressed the side of Seth's jaw, nose tracing along the slightly stubbly skin. "You just want to hear me say it again." Randy laughed even harder when Seth stuttered and shook his head.

After moments of their laughter, both teens were quiet and Seth had moved back to the bed enough for Randy to pull him onto his lap. The football player kissed the side of Seth's head and looked at the clock, frowning when he saw the time. "Are you showering now or in the morning?"

"Morning. My hair hates me."

Randy laughed, "Vain much?"

He pouted, "You don't get it. Your hair is barely even growing!"

He only laughed more and shook his head as he gently pushed Seth off him and went to retrieve a pair of boxers from his dresser. "Not helping your case, Rollins."

" Being an ass, Orton." He called back, glaring at Randy when the taller male chuckled again.

Randy just shook his head and pecked the male's flushed cheek. "Sorry, babe. I'm going to take a quick shower then we can get to bed. It is kind of late and I don't want you to be sleepy at school."

Seth couldn't help but smile at the caring words. He nodded and watched as Randy went into the bathroom. Seth waited until he heard the water turn on before undressing and changing into a pair of sweats. He shouldn't have been so nervous or shy to change in front of Randy considering how much of him the football player had already seen but he couldn't help it. He still wasn't sure when those kinds of things were okay and he was pretty self-conscious as well. Seth put his things away – except for the clothes he'd be wearing tomorrow – then plopped himself onto the bed. He picked up the small control Randy had on his nightstand and turned on the TV.

After Randy got out of the shower he saw Seth watching some talk show. He grinned to himself and hung up his towel before dropping in bed next to the teen.

Seth looked over and felt his skin heat up at the sight of Randy's still slightly damp body with nothing but a pair of boxers on. The teen's abs were getting more defined now and Seth couldn't help himself, he ran his fingers along the soft skin, plump lip tucked between his teeth as he appreciated the way his boyfriend's muscles flexed.

Randy sucked in a small breath and watched Seth's fingers go just over the waistband of his boxers only to stop and go back up. He grunted slightly and placed his hand over Seth's hand. "We have to get some rest, babe."

Seth nodded and released his now reddened lip, "I know.. want me to kill the lights?"

Randy shook his head and got up to turn off the lights. The only thing left keeping them from almost total darkness was the TV screen. The football player slid into bed next to Seth and turned to look at him. "Do you normally sleep with lights on?" he wondered even though they had slept in the same room before, he was being polite. Randy nodded when Seth said no then turned off the TV. He kissed Seth's shoulder and closed his eyes, "Thanks for visiting today."

"Mhm.. I had fun." He whispered as he cuddled against Randy. Seth's face heated up when Randy's hand pressed against his lower back and the swell of his ass, looking at Randy with a curious gaze, "You like it?" His skin only got darker but he felt the need to ask.

Randy smirked and patted the round mounds. "I do."

Seth chuckled and closed his eyes as he rested his head against Randy's chest. "And you haven't seen it bare."

Randy smirked, decidedly keeping his comment to himself. He buried his face in Seth's soft hair and inhaled slowly.

Seth grinned at the silence and settled in, still very much pleased at the way Randy was holding him and where the bigger male's hands were. "Night, Ran."

"Goodnight, Seth." He murmured back, still pressing the teen close to his chest as they both started dozing off into a surprisingly blissful sleep.

…

The football player stirred when sunlight filtered through the blinds. He could feel a weight across his chest and smirked when he saw the smaller male's arm draped over his body. Randy brought his hand up to run over the smooth skin and a shiver ran through him when Seth let out a quiet groan and pulled Randy closer. He watched the male for a moment and kissed the top of his head. Seth let out a quiet noise and squirmed closer to him. Randy bit his lip when he felt the beginnings of a morning hard-on rub against his leg. He had started to pull away but Seth whined out his name in his sleep and Randy felt heat rush through him. The larger teen ran his fingers over Seth's arm and leaned down to kiss him slowly until Seth started stirring and kissing back.

Seth awoke to the best thing in the world; Randy's lips were on his and their barely covered bodies were pressed together. He shivered when Randy sucked his tongue into his mouth, sleepy daze still fogging his senses. It wasn't until Randy crawled over him and the kiss became intense that Seth moaned loudly and fully woke up. He exhaled sharply, looking up at Randy. He knew his cheeks were flushed and his hair was already a mess but Randy was looking at him as if he was the most beautiful thing on the planet so Seth squirmed under the gaze.

He felt Seth shift under him, causing their full erections to rub together over the fabric of their boxers and Randy sucked in a breath. Seth was close to whining out but Randy kissed him again to silence him. They would hear them and Randy didn't exactly want to be interrupted right now. The football player sucked Seth's tongue into his mouth, earning a muffled moan and that only made him roll their hips together.

They began rutting against each other in a way they hadn't before and Seth could feel himself dangerously close to the edge. "R—ran…"

Randy shushed Seth and kissed down his neck, sucking a mark just over the male's collarbone so his t-shirt would be able to hide it. "Let me know if you want me to stop." He nipped at the new bruise and reveled in the sweet moan Seth let out. Randy reached down and began stroking the hot length until he felt it spasm in his grip and he held the base firmly. "Not yet.." he didn't explain why, instead kissing down Seth's lithe body and gently sucking his nipples until they became hard nubs. The football player was aching at this point; Seth had yet to touch his cock skin to skin and though Randy was willing to wait he was also dying for that to happen. Still, he didn't push.

Seth gasped when Randy began kissing over his covered cock. He could feel the hot breath and it only made him shiver with need. His body was already wound up tight but Seth couldn't form words to beg for Randy to let him come or to even touch him; he was reduced to whimpering like a damn puppy and arching against Randy. Randy hadn't done this before and Seth felt his cock begin to throb with the need to come but Randy was still preventing him from doing so. He opened his mouth to protest but then the cool air hit his dick and he bit his lip hard when he felt Randy's lips on his hot flesh. Seth's face was burning up, his entire body hot with desire as he rocked just gently up against Randy's lips. When Randy's lips wrapped around his cock and soon the entirety of his length was inside the warm mouth, Seth moaned and slid his fingers through Randy's hair. The larger teen had just enough for him to grip and Seth tugged the hair, earning a moan from Randy that traveled straight up his cock. "R…oh my god, Randy.. f-feels so good."

Randy hummed, tongue teasing Seth's balls now as he started sucking the male's length hard. His hands were roaming over Seth's body, one on his chest and playing with the hard nubs as the other groped Seth's ass. He was losing his mind, Seth's taste was a mix of his scent and something much sweeter and Randy couldn't get enough. He could feel the cock throb in his mouth so he pulled back as his thumb brushed over Seth's pucker. Randy didn't even have time to prepare before Seth's load shot into his mouth. He coughed a bit and pulled back, swallowing a small part of his release and pulling away. Randy stroked Seth through his orgasm and cursed as he watched the look of pure bliss on the male's face. He reached down to relieve himself as well but Seth's hips stuttered against him and before he even realized what happened the smaller male had turned Randy on his back and straddled him.

"You never let me help you.." Seth breathed out, almost pouting at the larger male. He used to think it was because Randy wasn't as physically attracted to Seth as Seth was to Randy but time and time again of Randy getting hard and coming just seconds after Seth let Seth know that his boyfriend definitely found him attractive. He looked down at Randy and kissed him hard, letting out a startled noise at the taste of his own come being shared into the kiss. It wasn't unpleasant, just a new experience. The swimmer nipped Randy's lip and breathed out softly, "It's not fair that you get to touch me all you want and I have yet to touch you." he explained as he shoved Randy's boxers out of the way and gripped the male's cock loosely. The weight was different, Randy was much thicker than he was and Seth shivered as he gave a few firm strokes. Part of him was curious as to how the hell they would prepare him for this stretch when the time came. "Y-you're so big." He blushed, looking down at Randy and kissing him again as he stroked him slowly, just enough to provide friction but not enough to make the male come. Seth kissed along Randy's jaw and continued to stroke him before latching on to the male's neck and sucking hard. He'd marked Randy in a very visible place and he could only hope Randy wouldn't mind.

Randy cursed when Seth marked next to the sensitive spot on his neck, arching against Seth and gasping when the tip of his cock brushed between Seth's firm ass. He thought Seth would shy away from it but the smaller teen released his cock and instead started rutting against him, never making a move to penetrate himself but the rutting was enough. Randy's stomach tightened as he clutched at Seth's back and dragged his blunt nails down the skin, "Seth.. fuck, baby. Faster, please.."

Seth's cheeks flared again but he moved faster, eyes glued to Randy's face as he watched the male get closer and closer to the edge. His own hips stuttered when he felt the hot liquid against his ass, moaning loudly only to get pulled down for a heated kiss when Randy was at the very peak of his orgasm. They panted against each other's lips, kissing sloppily as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. He didn't know how long they kissed for but soon Seth's head was dizzy with lack of air and he was forced to pull away. Randy dropped back against the mattress and Seth bit his lip as he looked down at him, kissing his jaw and up to his forehead.

Randy licked his lips and massaged Seth's back in a soothing manner until they both regained their composure. He looked up at Seth with a dopey smile and pecked his lips before leaving their foreheads pressed together. "That.. was amazing."

Seth chuckled and kissed Randy again before carefully getting off him and stepping towards the bathroom. "We have to rinse off before breakfast. They will get one look and know." He blushed at that but Randy just grinned and followed him into the restroom like the smug jerk he was. Seth wouldn't have it any other way.

xxx

A week had come and gone since Elaine was at a hotel and Randy's parents figured out what was going to happen and when. Randy had only spoken to his mother once, when he needed to get her to sign a slip for Nate to practice at the high school. Things were getting complicated at home but mostly because Becky had started to act out and she stopped doing her school work which was only adding to the stress already on their father. Randy asked their dad for permission before signing Becks up for a counseling appointment at school, hoping that it would at least help the girl a little bit.

"Randy, I need to tell you something."

He looked at his father, frowning but giving a slight nod. Randy had just packed his overnight bag because they had a game in San Diego today and they'd be sleeping in a hotel before driving back home Saturday morning. He set his bag down and stared at his dad.

"The paperwork has been started but.. she's battling for custody. She's.. ah, using my job against me."

Randy nodded, looking down and picking up his sports bag. "Okay.. I'll prepare Nate for that before the first hearing.. how long do you have?"

"First hearing is in three weeks. She will be stopping by and picking her stuff up during that time."

He sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Randy had been avoiding speaking to Seth's mom about helping out but it looked like there was no escaping it now. "Okay. I will talk to him soon.. you need to speak to Becks, dad.. she's not used to having people worry for her and.. she doesn't know what to do since Elaine isn't around dictating her every move." Randy didn't even apologize for saying that before grabbing his keys and placing a kiss on his father's cheek. "We'll get through this, Pa."

Bob smiled and hugged his eldest son tightly before nodding and grabbing his own keys, "I'll take Nate to school today."

Randy smiled and nodded before heading out. He ran into Jeanne in the driveway, smiling at the woman and nodding, "I'll see you after school, Jeanne." The woman had two small bags of groceries and Randy could only assume she had planned a special dinner because Bob told her about what was happening too. "Thanks for sticking around."

Jeanne blinked in surprise, not even getting a chance to answer her boss's son before he was in his car and driving away. She stuck around because they needed help and because she'd grown attached to Randy and Nate. They reminded her of her nephews.

Randy's phone was buzzing the entire way to Seth's house and he knew it would be about the game but he couldn't focus on that right now so he ignored everything and just worried about getting to Seth's and then getting through the school day. Baby steps and it would all be okay; at least that's what he told himself.

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_**A/N:**_ Review?


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